Prince William on Facebook?

Prince William has reportedly signed up for internet social-networking site Facebook, although the appearance of the future king on the site could be an elaborate hoax.

A 'William Wales' has appeared on the slightly voyeuristic site, which allows users to upload photographs, leave messages for friends and "poke" people they like, along with a picture of the young royal.

While it would be relatively simple for a pretender to have uploaded the image, many of the virtual "friends" on the prince's page seem genuine, with users listed including former St Andrews students and polo players.

And access to the page has been kept private by William, or whoever has made it, meaning that it can only be viewed by people who request to be his "friend" and he accepts.

The site has been criticised by many as being the latest arena for personal information-giving over the web, with employers increasingly using the site to spy on potential employees and find out what they don't reveal on their CVs.

When asked whether the prince was on Facebook, Buckingham Palace told the Daily Mail: "We would consider it a private thing and not comment on it."

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