Let me eat cake, says hungry Duke of Cambridge at charity cook-off

The Duke of Cambridge was left hungry for cake as he judged a charity cook-off to help launch a new campaign to tackle youth homelessness.

William - who admitted his culinary skills left a lot to be desired - was at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which is starting the campaign with homelessness charity LandAid.

He judged a cooking challenge between RICS chief executive Sean Tompkins and his LandAid counterpart Paul Morrish, and was disappointed that it was fish on the menu.

Asked by host and former Celebrity MasterChef winner Angellica Bell if he liked cooking, the Duke replied: "I do like cooking, but I'm not very good.

"And someone told me this was a bake-off, not a mackerel-off. I was expecting to get some chocolate cake."

William said that his signature dishes included a roast chicken dinner and steak, but admitted he was nervous about over-cooking the latter past his preferred medium-rare.

"I get really worried about cooking it - I hate over-cooking steak," he said.

"I like it medium-rare, so quite alive."

The event at RICS' central London base marked the beginning of the Pledge150 campaign between RICS and LandAid. RICS celebrates its 150th anniversary next year, and has pledged to raise £2.25 million towards helping to end youth homelessness in the UK.

The money raised is expected to fund 150 bed spaces for young people currently at risk in all areas of the country, and will be divided between regional partner organisations to ensure widespread use of the funds.

Assisting Mr Tompkins and Mr Morrish on stage were two formerly homeless youngsters, Sean Marsay, 26, and Rihana Senay, 21, who helped create the dishes under the watchful eye of Steve Groves, the head chef at Michel Roux's nearby Roux restaurant in Westminster's Parliament Square.

William was also presented with little chef outfits for Prince George and Princess Charlotte by Mr Tompkins.

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