Prince William Vacations At Montana Ranch

MISSOULA, Mont. - The 10-year-old son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent a quiet vacation near here and slipped away before the British tabloid press got wind of the story, a newspaper reported today.

Word leaked earlier this week in London that Prince William, an heir to the British throne, had vacationed at a guest ranch in the Clearwater Valley, about 25 miles east of Missoula, the Missoulian newspaper said.

"British reporters scrambled for details, hounding employees of the E-Bar-L guest ranch in Greenough where the young prince stayed," the Missoulian said.

Reporters from the Daily Mirror in London and other newspapers telephoned, and some traveled to Montana this week to find out about William's trip, the newspaper said.

"It is simply horrible, and we are just slamming down the phone," said a partner in the E-Bar-L ranch. "I bet we've had 50 phone calls. . . . They've flown reporters over. They've gone through every source possible."

Prince William came to Montana last month with a young friend and the friend's father, British businessman Simon Duffy, according to the Missoulian.

The prince left more than a week before the press learned of his presence, and the guest ranch provided no information about the visit to reporters, the unnamed ranch partner said.

In London, a story in the Daily Mirror was headlined, "Willy the Kid: Cowboy prince is king of the wild frontier," according to the Missoulian's account.

"The 10-year-old future king spent long days in the saddle . . . and starry nights around the campfire. He ate steak and beans and listened spellbound to tales of the frontier days when men were men," said the British tabloid as quoted by the Missoulian.

Jim Loran, who owns the Clearwater Bar and Cafe a few miles from the ranch, said he also has been hounded by reporters because Prince William, along with security guards and other guests from the ranch, attended a dance at the bar July 25.