Prince William during the training session at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. (AFP)

London, June 4: Prince William, on his first day in the Royal Navy, has fluffed his lines in a carefully orchestrated photo-opportunity.

Sub-Lieutenant Wales as he is known to his naval colleagues was required to take his turn to “slip anchor” as is the tradition for all new recruits.

The future king, with cameras trained on him, swung a sledgehammer to release a cable attached to a 30m chain and anchor on a converted Royal Navy mine-hunter moored on the Dart river.

Navy tradition dictates that the anchor must be released with one blow or the sailor has to buy all his colleagues a crate of beer. Despite his polo skills it took the prince two attempts but he laughed off his blunder and pledged to honour his debt.

One onlooker said: “He looked very much at his ease, concentrating on the task but laughing when he didn’t get it right first time. He did look a bit nervous the second time but he managed it. It is tradition though and he owes everyone a beer.”

The prince, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and Uncle Andrew, passed through the gates of Britannia Royal Naval College to mark the beginning of a two month attachment with the navy.

It was at the same naval college in July 1939 that a 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, who was on an official visit with her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, was introduced for the first time to a dashing naval officer who eight years later was to become her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.