PRINCE WILLIAM had a taste of life as an ordinary mortal when he tried to enter a club-class lounge on a crowded cross-Channel ferry without a ticket.

The stewardess failed to recognise the second in line to the throne, and instead of laying on red-carpet treatment she turned him away.

After Clarence House sources confirmed yesterday that William had been on the P&O ferry, the company admitted that it was embarrassed.

In the club lounge the Prince could have enjoyed a complimentary glass of champagne or a cup of tea or coffee.

Chris Laming, a P&O spokesman, said: “We had heard stories that the Prince had tried to get into the club lounge and been refused. However, because his name did not appear on the manifest we had been unable to confirm it was actually him.

“I suppose if the Prince chooses to travel incognito and eschew a visit to the bridge and a handshake with the captain he is likely to find out what life is like as an ordinary mortal sooner or later.

“However, it is somewhat surprising that the stewardess failed to recognise him, and no doubt someone will be having a word with her.”

According to passengers on the Pride of Kent, the Prince and three companions tried to get into the club lounge soon after the vessel left Dover for the 75-minute Channel crossing. It was the first day of half-term and the ferry was packed with families and children. All tickets for the first-class lounge — which cost an extra £10 per passenger — had been pre-booked.

One passenger said: “It was hilarious. The woman checking tickets had a conversation with Prince William’s party and then told them they couldn’t come in. I don’t know if she recognised him but even if she did it didn’t make an difference. They obviously found it all quite amusing and went to the bar for a drink instead.

“A little later an officer came into the lounge and it looked as though he was giving her a bit of a dressing down. The lounge was pretty crowded but I am sure she could have squeezed another four people in — especially if one of them was the future king of England.

“When we got off the boat all the crew were talking about it — I heard one say he was just grateful it hadn’t been him who barred a member of the Royal Family.”

Another passenger said that Prince William had kept to the back of the group and had not tried to pull rank.

He added: “When the ferry docked at Calais . . . we saw them squeeze into a fairly old VW Golf. The detective with them was pretty burly and it was a bit of a tight fit.

“The rest of the crew were having a real chuckle at the expense of the poor woman for failing to recognise such an important passenger.”

Besides being denied the peace and quiet of the club lounge, Prince William missed out on the chance to have his onboard shopping done for him. Passengers using the lounge can give their shopping list to a member of staff.

Clarence House refused to comment on the reason for Prince William’s visit to France.

CELEBRITIES WHO FAILED TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION

• Hugh Grant was grabbed by a woman guard as he walked into a London Fashion Week show in September. She did not recognise him and pulled him back by the arm. She let the actor in when she realised her mistake
  
  
• Caprice, the lingerie model who rarely uses a surname, was banned from driving for a year after failing a breath test. When she told the police officer who pulled her over that her name was Caprice, he replied: “Caprice who?”
  
  
• George Clooney, a regular visitor to a retirement home on the banks of Lake Como in Italy, was turned away on a visit last month after a member of staff failed to recognise him
  
  
• In 1982, the Polish director Zbigniew Rybczynski celebrated his Oscar victory with a cigarette outside the building. On trying to re-enter he was barred by a security guard who did not recognise him. A scuffle broke out and the director spent a night in the cells with his statuette By Simon de Bruxelles

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