EVEN the most ardent royalist would concede that the image of the Royal Family has taken a battering in the years following the death of the Princess of Wales.

Increasingly seen as out of touch with the people, there was a clear need for a public relations boost if the popularity slide was to be halted.

A bigger boost than anyone could have expected has come in the form of Prince William, who has smoothly taken over the mantle of his late mother as the Royal with the common touch.

At 18, William is slowly but surely emerging as a young man with all of Diana's best qualities - good looks, a sense of fun, and an ability to generate goodwill at all social levels.

The photographs and film footage of the prince - released to the media of the weekend - paint a picture of a very ordinary teenager as he mucks in as a volunteer with Raleigh International in Chile.

Yes, of course, it is all part of a carefully-calculated exercise to show the future king in the best possible light. But he comes across as a genuinely nice young man - a public relations dream - so why miss such a golden opportunity to show off potentially the greatest asset the Royal Family has had for generations?

William has been described by those around him in Patagonia as a team-player and natural leader, who expects no special treatment while working for the charity.

The picture on our front page today shows him cleaning a toilet and there are plenty more examples of his willingness to get down to the grass roots.

The reputation of the Royals reached its lowest ebb in the days immediately after Diana's death when they so appallingly underestimated the mood of the nation.

How proud Diana would have been to know that her son would grow up to show the way ahead.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award has not always gone to the most deserving of competitors.

The public voting system is always liable to favour the most glamorous sports and miscarriages of justice have therefore occurred.

Rowing is not a traditionally glamorous sport, but this year there could not be the slightest doubt.

Olympic legend Steve Redgrave is not only the Sports Personality of the Year, he is one of the sports personalities of the century.