Prince William's visit followed in his mother's footsteps

The prince, 24, held the babies during a visit to reopen the revamped Winnicott Unit at St Mary's in Paddington, London.

He was initially nervous about picking up three-week-old twins Sina and Sem Nuru, but nurses persuaded him to.

Hugging Sina, who was 4lb 4oz when born 10 weeks early but now weighs 5lb, he said: "She's so sweet."

He added: "She's only slightly bigger than my hand."

The prince and his brother Prince Harry were both born at St Mary's in the private wing, the Lindo.

William made his public debut with his parents wrapped in a white blanket outside the hospital.

His mother Diana, Princess of Wales, later visited the Winnicott Unit in 1990.

She also held a premature baby.

Speaking of his mother, William told nursery nurse Ann Mason: "I haven't got the same touch with the babies as she used to have.

"They usually start crying when I pick them up."

'Little Princess'

However, the babies did little more than gurgle slightly as they were held by the prince.

Sina wore a white babygrow with a pink teddy bear pattern, but underneath had a vest bearing the words "Little Princess", prompting a grinning William to ask: "Who got the T-shirt for her?"

And William cradled Sem's head in his hand as he gingerly took him in his arms.

The prince went on a brief walkabout after he left the hospital and greeted about 200 people crowded into an outside courtyard.

He smiled when one wellwisher asked: "Did it make you broody?"

William replied: "Broody? I don't know about that - not yet."