Princes joke while trying stockbroking for charity

The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry joked and made fun of each other as they made billion pound deals for charity on a City trading floor.

The royal brothers brokered big-figure trades for firm BGC Partners in London Docklands to raise money in memory of people who died in the 9/11 attacks.

The brokerage firm lost 658 employees who were killed in the attacks on New York's twin towers in 2001.

Prince Harry told traders his brother was preoccupied with "baby chat".

He then turned to the duke and said: "Stop flirting, get on with it."

BGC broker Nick Thompson, 45, from Otley, West Yorkshire, mentored Prince Harry through the deal he made alongside his brother.

He said: "He (Harry) was great. He's very laid back about it. He did very well.

"Prince Harry was far more confident; Prince William was too busy with the baby chat, rather than the numbers."

The visit came as it emerged that Prince William's time as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot has come to an end.

BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said his last shift as an operational captain at RAF Valley on Anglesey was on Tuesday.

Billion pound deal

All profits from the trades during the course of the day are to be donated to charity, including the duke's SkillForce and the prince's WellChild organisations.

After the charity event, the princes attended the funeral of a family friend

The princes each made a handful of high-value deals during their 50-minute visit.

At one point Prince William said to a broker: "Bloody hell, was that a billion?"

After the trader nodded, the duke turned to Prince Harry and said: "Apparently, we should work here."

During one of his deals, Prince Harry urged the trader on the end of the line to put up more money.

"150? Why don't we make that 200?" he said.

"200? Done."

After the charity event, the princes headed straight from the Docklands to Essex where they attended the funeral of family friend Hugh van Cutsem.

Mr van Cutsem, a former officer in the Household Cavalry, and Prince Charles had been friends since their days as students at Cambridge. The two princes stayed with him when their parents' marriage collapsed.