Prince William skips Commonwealth ceremony, holidays with friends in Switzerland

London: Skipping a major Commonwealth ceremony, Prince William of the British Royal Family was partying with friends on a Swiss ski holiday.

According to a report in Daily Mail, William had beers in Verbier club while dancing until early hours with his friends. William left his wife, Duchess of Cambridge, and their children at home for the weekend jaunt.

Speaking about William’s ski trip, the spokesman said: ‘His schedule was private and we would not comment on it.’

The 24-year-old Australian model, Sophie Taylor, was one of the girls photographed with Prince William. Taylor works at the Farinet nightclub, the popular après-ski hangout in which William and his friends were spotted drinking and dancing.

The prince's decision of missing out the major event would cause him to face criticism of ‘workshy’ and failing to knuckle down to his royal role.

Almost every other senior member of the Royal Family was present alongside the Queen and Prince Philip, including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, at the Commonwealth ceremony.

Monday’s event, organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, is the largest inter-faith gathering in Britain and was designed to highlight the diverse attributes of the Commonwealth, made up of 2.5 billion people.

The event was particularly important as it marked the 40th anniversary of Commonwealth Day, which is always held on the second Monday in March.