Prince William and Prince Harry are now the most famous princes in all the land, and looking at them now you'd never guess that they weren't always as princely and as handsome. Prince Harry is an energetic, charismatic royal with a keen interest in sport and charity. And of course, he is about to marry the lovely Meghan Markle, an outsider, a commoner, and an American. Then there's Prince William, slightly more refined and private when compared to his younger brother, but even more royal and gentlemanly in manner. Both Princes are now great examples of how royals should be, and both have done amazing things in their lives.
But what were these two like as children? Their childhoods were some of the most closely examined in all of British history. Lady Diana made no secret about the fact that she wanted the children to live as normal lives as possible, and so these two boys found themselves in a unique situation as far as royals go. Never before had two members of the royal family been raised in such a way, and many people forget about some of the most interesting facts surrounding these princes' upbringing. Here are 25 facts about their royal childhoods...
25 Prince Harry's Real Name Is Henry - Harry Is His Childhood Nickname
Everyone knows that royal titles can get a little confusing, and this certainly applies to both Prince William and Prince Harry. There are all kinds of interesting things about the naming system of Princes and other Royals, including the fact that most royals have 4-5 names! And then there's the slightly strange fact that royals don't actually have the last name in a technical sense - Prince William and Harry typically use the last name "Windsor," or "Wales," as they are the Princes of Wales. This is the last name they have used in school and during their pasts in the military. But what about Harry? Is that really his name?
According to multiple insiders, including Closer, it is a well-known fact that Harry is, in fact, a nickname - His real given first name is Henry!
It turns out that Harry was just a nickname used instead of "Henry" back during his youth, and it sort of just stuck... In fact, he was only called "Henry" when he was being bad!
This isn't the only nickname he's used before, however. There are rumors that he actually once had a Facebook page under the alias "Spike Wells," according to the Telegraph. And Harry isn't the only one to have a royal nickname. According to the same insiders, William's nickname was actually a lot crazier! It's alleged that his nickname was actually "Wombat!" Prince Wombat... That really has a nice ring to it...
24 Princess Diana Took The Boys To McDonald's
It's a well-known fact that Lady Diana played a huge role in raising her two boys, and she did so in a way that was not altogether traditional, especially in the eyes of the royal family. Anyone who has ever read an article about the Royal Family knows that they are a group that clings tightly to traditions, many of which have been handed down and followed to a "T" for hundreds if not thousands of years. Lady Diana, according to insiders including the Daily Star, bucked plenty of those trends and wanted her children to have a normal life. This meant that Prince Harry and Prince William did a lot of things that no other royal child had ever done in the past.
One of those things that were extremely well-documented and talked about in the press was the fact that Lady Diana took her two royal sons to McDonald's for lunch. Good House Keeping quoted Prince William as saying: "She very much wanted to get us to see the rawness of real life. And I can't thank her enough for that, 'cause reality bites in a big way, and it was one of the biggest lessons I learned is, just how lucky and privileged so many of us are — particularly myself." These were probably the first royal children who ever tasted a Big Mac at such a young age.
23 They Were Both Born In The Private Lindo Wing Of St. Mary's Hospital
When it comes to Royal Tradition, the norm used to be a home birth. Royal Mothers would give birth at home, in the privacy of their own home, and with the help of the specially trained staff. However, within the last few decades, that tradition has shifted, and now it is seen as the norm to give birth in a special, private wing of St. Mary's Hospital, called the "Lindo Wing." Not only were William and Harry born here, but also newer royal babies, such as Prince William's own children, as the Independent reports. It seems like a royal tradition that is here to stay, but Lady Diana was the one who probably made this fancy hospital wing famous in the first place.
As the Independent reports, it costs almost $6,000 pounds, or approximately $9,000 dollars to give birth in this wing.
Healthcare is provided by the UK government free of charge, but if you want to spend a little extra on a royal experience, the Lindo Wing is the place to go.
And "royal" is a word that perfectly sums up the Lindo Wing. Included in the package are wine selections, afternoon tea, and luxurious accommodations. But the part that probably appeals to the Royals the most is the fact that staff is trained to be incredibly discreet and secretive, not giving away any information about their high profile attendees.
22 William And Harry Had Five, Full-Time "Royal Nannies"
Diana played a huge role in her children's upbringing and made sure that she was always there to be an influence on her two royal sons. In fact, she was probably one of the most involved and "hands-on" royal mothers in history, as many people have said. That being said, Prince William and Prince Harry still had royal nannies, and these dutiful women also played a major role in their upbringing. These specially trained women were extremely obsessive over what the two boys ate, how they behaved, and above all, their safety. There have numerous reports that give us an insight into what being a royal nanny is really like.
One article which explored this subject in depth was written by Care. The article claims that the hiring process for a nanny is very tough and that they are picked from some of the hardest working, most dedicated women in the business. Often, they are already working as staff within the royal family, such as in Buckingham Palace. Duties of the Royal Nannies include teaching the children manners, planning their meals, and dealing with privacy issues related to the press and the paparazzi. There are even some that claim that some Royal Nannies are specially trained in self-defense and martial arts.
21 William And Harry Were Expected To Be On Their Best Behavior Around The Queen
Growing up, Diana always made William and Harry feel like they were normal children - at least as normal as was possible, given the fact that they were actually princes in one of the most famous royal families. She tried her best to show them the real side of life. But when it came to the queen, it was a completely different matter. As she is the monarch of England, their relationship to their grandmother was (and still is) slightly more complex than your average grandma and grandson relationship. They were expected to show her the utmost respect, and be on their very best behavior, as the Daily Mail reports.
But the two Princes insist today that she is just their grandma behind closed doors. The Daily Mail quoted Prince William as saying:
"I still think she's just my grandmother, really. I'm probably a bit of a cheeky grandson, like my brother as well. We both take the mickey a bit too much. But I remember always having a healthy respect for my grandmother."
Prince Harry echoed these sentiments, revealing: 'Behind closed doors, she's our grandmother, it's as simple as that." But Prince William did also allude to learning the hard way not to mess with the Queen of England: "As I learned from growing up, you don't mess with your grandmother."
20 Prince William Toured New Zealand With His Parents At Just Nine Months Old
There were a number of other things about William and Harry's upbringing that were slightly different when compared to earlier royal children. As you're probably aware, a huge part of being a royal family member is taking care of "royal duties." These duties can range from meeting foreign diplomats to charity work and much more. Probably some of the most interesting and fun duties for the royal family members are royal tours. These involve the royal family members traveling to different countries and seeing the sights, all while meeting important people and doing their duties overseas. All paid for by the Crown, of course.
For the longest time, it was seen as normal to leave your royal children at home when embarking on these tours, especially if your children are very young. But as Hello Magazine reports, Diana and Charles bucked this trend when they decided to take 9-month-old Prince William along with them for their journey to Australia and New Zealand. This was allegedly a special request from Princess Diana herself, and it really showed how she wanted to play a huge role in her children's life. We're sure that many mothers would jump at the chance to get some free time away from their kids, but not Diana...
19 They Both Went To Wetherby School, Ludgrove School, And Then Eton College - Which Was Against Royal Tradition
As you might expect, the education of the boys was taken extremely seriously. Some of the cutest pictures of Prince William and Harry are of the two wearing their school uniforms, heading off for some of their first years of Royal Education. As The Daily Beast reports, the first school they would have attended would have been Wetherby School. This famous school in London takes children to the age of 13, after which they go off to another school before college.
The school is famous for accepting some of the richest, elitist children in England, and entrance into the school is fiercely competitive.
You have to have some serious connections to be allowed in, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The next school that the boys attended was Ludgrove. This was a school for slightly older children and was a little more relaxed than Wetherby. As the Telegraph reports, the teachers there recall Prince Harry being a little naughty while at school. After Ludgrove, William attended Eton, while Harry went on to attend Military School. As the Baltimore Sun reports, sending William to Eton was actually against Royal Tradition, because most other members of the royal family, Prince Charles included, had attended Gordonstoun instead, a school that is now shrouded in controversy.
18 During School, William Played Football Whereas Harry Played Rugby - But Both Enjoy Polo
Some of the schools we've mentioned are quite famous for high-achieving students in academics, but they are equally well-known for their state of the art athletics programs. Both Prince William and Prince Harry were heavily involved in sports during their youths, and both still are to this day, so some extent. As Pop Sugar reports, Prince William has shown an incredible enthusiasm for sports in the past, not only attending sports events but also partaking in them. Prince William seems to have a preference for soccer (football), and Polo in particular. There are numerous photos of him taking part in these sports.
Prince Harry, on the other hand, is probably the more athletic of the two. The official Royal Website, Royal.uk, claims that Prince Harry is especially fond of Rugby, and was named House Games Captain at Eton. He once helped coach children's Rugby training sessions and was reportedly very enthusiastic with the kids. He also started the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded Army Service Personnel. From his humble beginnings playing Rugby for Eton all the way to his current involvement in international sports, it's fair to say that sport has played a massive role in Prince Harry's life.
17 Princess Diana Took Them To Amusement Parks
We've already mentioned the fact that Princess Diana was a mother who strove to show her children the realities of life. It's been noted by many insiders that she actually showed her children the hard side of life so that they would know how privileged they really were. But Lady Diana was also someone who loved to have fun with her boys, and she would make sure that they got as much enjoyment and fun out of life as any other "normal children" would. She loved to spoil them, and as the Birmingham Mail reported, that included taking the two royal princes to amusement parks.
One of these fun places included the Staffordshire Theme Park, and in 1994 Princess Diana shocked the world by bringing her two boys and letting them go on whatever rides they wanted.
She actually joined them in riding the "Log Flume," and got completely soaked with her boys as the ride blasted through the water. The picture of the two boys and their mother laughing together speaks a thousand words. The two Princes also reportedly went on the "Nemesis" ride, which left them hanging upside down! Understandably, Princess Diana preferred to sit this one out, watching from the ground instead. It might seem like a crazy thing for a royal mother to do with her kids, but it was clearly a great time for both boys.
16 The Divorce Affected Both Boys Deeply
Definitely one of the hardest parts of Prince Harry and Prince Charles' early lives was the fact that they had to deal with their mother and father's divorce. It was something that shocked the world, as they'd never seen a royal marriage fall apart so completely and utterly. As the information began to creep out, there were all kinds of different allegations, from infidelity to constant arguing, as reported by the Telegraph.
It was definitely a tough time for the two boys to go through, and something that dominated a huge part of their early lives.
But don't take our word for it - Prince Charles and Prince Harry have actually spoken out about it in the past.
The Telegraph posted some interesting quotes from the two princes, as part of a documentary that aired about Diana and her legacy. Prince Harry revealed: “There was the point of where our parents split and the two of us were bouncing between the two of them and we probably didn’t...we never saw our mother enough or we never saw our father enough. You know there was a lot there was a lot of traveling and a lot of fights on the back seat with my brother, of which I would win. So there was all of that to contend with. And I don’t pretend that we’re the only people to have to deal with that. But it was, it was an interesting way of growing up.”
15 Their Mother's Passing Was Even Worse
Prince Harry was affected very deeply by her mother's passing, as he was only 12 years old when it happened. ET Online posted a quote from the aforementioned documentary, Diana, 7 Days. Prince Harry revealed: “I think one of the hardest things to come to terms with is the fact that the people that chased her into the tunnel were the same people that were taking photographs of her while she was still [passing] in the back seat of the car. We’ve been told that numerous times by people that know, that [were] there on the case. 'She’d had quite a severe head injury, but she was very much still alive in the back seat. Those people that caused the accident, instead of helping, were taking photos of her [passing] in the back seat. And then those photographs made their way to news desks in this country.'”
Prince William also spoke out in the documentary about how much his mother's passing affecting him so early in life. He admitted: “When you have something so traumatic as the [passing] of your mother when you’re 15 -- as very sadly many people have experienced and no one wants to experience -- it will either make or break you. And I wouldn’t let it break me. I wanted it to make me. I wanted her to be proud of the person I would become.”
14 Prince William Snubbed Royal Tradition By Choosing St. Andrew's Over Oxford Or Cambridge
Prince William was actually a rather good student, and decided to attend university after Eton College. ABC News reported that the royal Prince received an A in geography, a B in history of art and a C in biology during his final exams. However, many people were surprised after learning of Prince William's post secondary plans.
He chose to go to St. Andrew's, which went against the tradition of sending royal children to Cambridge or Oxford, the two leading schools in England.
However, it proved to be a great choice for the young royal, as he met Kate Middleton while attending school there.
At age 23, Prince William graduated from the University, and the Telegraph quoted him as saying on the day of his graduation: "Today is a very special day for me and I am delighted that I can share it with my family, and in particular with my grandmother, who has made such an effort to come, having been under the weather. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at St Andrew's and I shall be very sad to leave. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has made my time here so enjoyable. I have been able to lead as 'normal' a student life as I could have hoped for and I'm very grateful to everyone, particularly the locals, who have helped make this happen."
13 Prince Harry Got To Meet The Spice Girls
The Spice Girls have an interesting history with the Royal Family. They've met various members of the royal family multiple times, including Prince Charles and many others. It seems that the Spice Girls and the Royal Family are very close, which seems like an unlikely reality. Nevertheless, the Spice Girls have proven themselves to be so close to various Royals that they've been invited to various royal events - including even Prince Harry's upcoming wedding with Meghan Markle. As the Time reports, Mel B recently hinted that the group might be invited to the grand event and that they might even perform!
But that shouldn't really come as too much of a surprise since Prince Harry has a bit of a history with the Spice Girls. One of the most famous pictures ever taken during the prince's youth was when he met with the group in South Africa, as Time reports. The prince looks bright red with embarrassment and shyness as he met with the pop icons, and he even got to hold hands with them! This was all the way back in 1997, when Harry was only 13 years old. It's safe to say that he was living the dream that a lot of other 13-year-old boys could only fantasize about!
12 Prince Harry Was Allegedly Not Very Good At Academics
While Prince William went on to attend University and do well in the field of academics, Prince Harry wasn't quite the same way. In his days at school, he would sometimes perform poorly, as revealed in an article by the Express. He would frequently get less than ideal grades, such as D's. Nevertheless, he was apparently very good at sports and also wasn't bad at art, either. Due to this, it should come as no surprise that Harry didn't want to go into post-secondary education, and chose to enter the military instead. And in this field, he really did excel, and many of his superiors at the military academy agree.
Prince Harry has admitted his own distaste for academics, and the Express has quoted him as saying: "I don't know, I'm one of those people, that during my flying course especially, I would be fine at flying..."
"...I probably should have done a lot more reading, but I was fine at flying. And then every now and then a written test would come up, and I'd be absolutely useless and I've been like that from stage one of my youth."
Speaking about his academic performance, Prince Harry went on to reveal: "Exams were always a nightmare, but anything like kicking a ball around or playing PlayStation - or flying - I do generally find a little bit easier than walking, sometimes."
11 The Boys Once Tried To Trick Their Royal Chef Into Giving Them Pizza
Both Prince William and Prince Harry had something of a reputation for being naughty tricksters, but when they were put together, sometimes they worked as a time to get away with all kinds of stunts. Like most children, the boys were obsessed with sweets and food that all kids like, such as fries and chicken nuggets. But they were royal princes, and there was a constant battle between Lady Diana and their Nannies over whether or not they should eat healthy, Now To Love reports. Apparently, the arguments between their mother and their nannies got quite heated at times.
Darren McGrady was the royal chef for the two princes at the time, and he admits that he saw quite a lot during his time. According to Now To Love, he said: “They liked comfort food dishes. They loved banana flan, anything with banana really, banana ice cream. They loved things like mixed grills, burgers, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and cream chicken sauce... They were royal children but they still had children’s palates.” McGrady also admits that the two royal Princes once tried to trick him by leaving him an obviously forged note that read: “Please give the boys pizza tonight instead of chicken." McGrady admitted: "I knew the boys wrote that, so I said ‘No, I’ll give them chicken.’”
10 They Regret "Rushing" Their Last Phone Call With Their Mother
One of the most tragic details to come out of the stunning documentary, Diana, 7 Days, was the Princes' confession on their last ever phone call they had with their mother. This was after the divorce, as the Telegraph reports, and the two were with their father at the time when they received the call from Diana.
Prince Harry admitted in the documentary: “As a kid I never enjoyed speaking to my parents on the phone. And we spent far too much time speaking on the phone rather than speaking to each other, because of just the way the situation [the divorce] was. And the phone rang and off he [William] went to go and speak to her sort of for five minutes.” Prince William continued by saying..."
“...And I think Harry and I were just in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know, see you later and we’re going to go off. If I’d known now obviously what was going to happen I wouldn’t have been so blasé about it and everything else..."
“...But that phone call sticks in my mind quite, quite heavily."
Harry agreed, saying: “And if I’d known that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother the things I would have said to her.” He added: “Looking back on it now, it’s incredibly hard. I have to sort of deal with that for the rest of my life. Not knowing that that was the last time I was going to speak to my mum, and how different that conversation would have panned out if I’d had even the slightest inkling that her life was going to be taken that night.”
9 Prince Harry Reveals That He Misses The Hugs He Used To Get From Diana
There was no doubt that Harry and William had a very close connection to their mother. All children who have the fortune of being raised by a loving mother feel the same, and that bond between mother and child is one of the strongest in human society. Both Prince William and Prince Harry got lots of love and care from their mother, and it's no doubt that this love molded them into the men they are today. As the Telegraph reports, it's probably one of the reasons why Prince William makes sure that his children know what an amazing woman Lady Diana really was.
Prince Harry spoke at length about his mother in the documentary, Diana, 7 Days. He admits that he really misses his mother's hugs: "She would just engulf you and squeeze you as tight as possible. And being as short as I was then, there was no escape, you were there and you were there for as long as she wanted to hold you. Even talking about it now I can feel the hugs that she used to give us and I miss that. I miss that feeling, I miss that part of a family, I miss having that mother to be able to give you those hugs and give you that compassion that I think everybody needs."
8 Diana Used To Dress Up The Boys In "Bizarre Outfits"
Lady Diana was very aware of the media's fixation on both her and her children, and she always made sure to dress accordingly. Not only did she make sure that she was always looking her best, but she also took extra care of her boys' outfits. There are numerous pictures which show that Princess Diana perhaps had a little too much fun with dressing up her kids, and sometimes the media and the public, in general, would wonder why she was dressing her children in such ridiculous clothing. As the Princes got older, they began to wear more conservative clothing, but it sure was funny while it lasted.
Prince Harry spoke about his mother's famous sense of style in the aforementioned documentary, and he was quoted by the Telegraph as saying:
"I genuinely think that she got satisfaction out of dressing myself and William up in the most bizarre outfits..."
"...Normally matching. It was weird shorts and, like, little sort of shiny shoes with the old clip on. Looking back at the photos it just makes me laugh. I just think ‘how could you do that to us.' So I like to think that she had great fun in dressing us up. I’m sure that wasn’t it, but I sure as hell am going to dress my kids up the same way.”
7 Diana Pulled A Hilarious Prank On The Boys When They Were Young Involving Supermodels
Lady Diana was calm and distinguished in front of cameras and in public, but both Prince Harry and William tell a very different story about their own experiences with their mother. According to them, she was quite the prankster and would delight in playing all sorts of tricks on her youngsters. She even encouraged her own children to do the same, with Prince Harry recalling: “One of her mottos to me was: ‘you can be as naughty as you want, just don’t get caught,' according to the Telegraph. She would regularly sneak in chocolates and sweets to her children while they were at school, much to the chagrin of the boys' health-obsessed nannies.
Every boy would be pretty happy with a mother who helped them smuggle candies into school, but according to the Telegraph, she once did something even better than that. Prince William once admitted that when he was just 12 or 13, he came home from school to find models Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell waiting for him at the top of the stairs. Speaking about the incident, William admitted: “I went bright red and didn’t quite know what to say and sort of fumbled, and I think I pretty much fell down the stairs on the way up. I was completely and utterly sort of awestruck. But that was a very funny memory. That’s lived with me forever.”
6 According To Some Insiders, William Didn't Behave So Well As A Young Child
Today, Prince William and Prince Harry are both good examples of royal Princes. They behave well, keep themselves out of controversy, and seem to be perpetually involved in benevolent acts, such as charity and special royal duties. And yet, in many ways, the boys are very different. Some would say that Prince Harry is more outgoing, whereas William is more reclusive and introverted. One person who agrees is Penny Juror, author of the book Prince William: Born To Be King. As quoted by Maclean's, Penny Juror says he is a public figure, “But he keeps them to himself; he is one of the most intensely private people you could meet."
We've mentioned the fact that Prince Harry was seen as a very naughty boy growing up but as Penny Juror claims in her book,
Prince William definitely had his moments as well. He was photographed sticking his tongue out at people, and he also allegedly called Bob Geldof a "dirty" man, an offense for which he was told off by his father, Prince Charles.
Penny Juror paints a picture of Prince William that many of us have not considered - a boy who was hurt and even scarred by his parent's dysfunctional marriage and his mother's eventual passing. She claims that he's never really been the same since.
5 Diana Took The Bus And The "Tube" With Her Boys
One of the most heartwarming stories that emerged of Harry and William's upbringing was the fact that they were allowed to accompany their mother on one of London's famous double-decker buses, after taking the equally famous London "Tube." According to the Express, it was Harry's idea to ride one of the busses, and he begged his mother to let him take a trip on one. Eventually, Diana caved in, and she took Harry and William on a trip through the center of London. The family was accompanied by two bodyguards, but amazingly they weren't even recognized as they went right through the heart of the United Kingdom's capital.
According to the Express, the group started their journey at South Kensington Station in West London and got off at Piccadilly. Then, they allegedly hopped on a number 38 bus, headed to Victoria Station. Prince Harry was allegedly a little bit naughty to the bus driver, but according to Diana's bodyguard, the bus driver loved the jokes that Harry was playing. At the end of the day, the young Prince Harry even wrote thank you letters to the staff that accompanied them on that day, thanking them for making his dream of riding a double-decker bus come true.
4 Diana Allegedly Fired Her Nanny For Having Too Close Of A Relationship With William
We've already mentioned the fact that Diana used to fight a lot with her Nannies, arguing with them over what food was suitable for her boys. But numerous other insiders suggest that Diana was even more at war with her Nannies, especially if they showed too much affection for her children. According to the aforementioned book by Penny Juror, Prince William had a special bond with one of his nannies named Barbara Barnes. As Penny writes in her book, according to Macleans, William used to climb into bed with "Baba" as he called her every morning before breakfast.
According to Penny Juror, Diana later fired Barbara Barnes because of this special bond that was blossoming between nanny and Prince.
She allegedly invented some illogical reason to fire the nanny. As Penny Juror comments in her book, “[Prince William] became less outgoing, less trusting, less inclined to make himself vulnerable. Penny Juror also said "The only explanation is she was so tied up with her own feelings that she couldn’t look beyond them to see what this would do to her sons. It’s so weird, given that she herself was abandoned and knew how painful that was.”
3 They Went To Disney World And Waited In Line Like Everyone Else
We've already mentioned how Princess Diana loved to take her boys to theme parks in England, but nothing could ever compare to the time when she took them both to the holy grail of Amusement Parks: Disney World, Florida. Almost all kids want to go there at some point in their lives, and Prince Harry and Prince William were no exception. It was probably a dream come true for the boys, who were aged 8 and 11, respectively. According to E Online, the three royal family members had an absolute blast, and this photo was taken as the trio went down the famed ride, Splash Mountain.
According to the article, this was only 9 months after Diana's split from Charles, so perhaps it was a tactical decision to take the trip and distract from the turbulence that event must have caused in the boys' lives. Needless to say, they went the whole 9 yards, renting out an entire floor of a hotel, and being ushered around the park by way of secret underground tunnels. But Lady Diana was quick to point out at the time that she and the boys waited in line, "just like everyone else." Among the rides, they went on were Country Bear Jamboree, the Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and many others.
2 Prince William Has A "Harry Potter Scar" From An Accident During His Youth
One of the biggest scares in Prince William's early life was when he was quite young. He was playing golf with a friend when he was accidentally struck with a golf club, causing injuries to his head which actually put him in hospital. At the time, the press had a field day, and people were interested to know whether the second heir to the throne would be all right. As it turned out, the Prince was fine, and only needed a few stitches. However, to this day, Prince William refers to the mark on his forehead as his "Harry Potter Scar," which highlights the Prince's hilarious sense of humor.
As quoted by the Daily Mail, Prince William was once speaking to a girl in the hospital when he pointed at his scar and said:
'That was for my Harry Potter scar, as I call it, just here. I call it that because it glows sometimes and some people notice it - other times they don't notice it at all..."
"...I got hit by a golf club when I was playing golf with a friend of mine. Yeah, we were on a putting green and the next thing you know there was a seven-iron and it came out of nowhere and it hit me in the head. So, yeah, I was in the hospital for that, but that was very minor compared to how many times you've been into the hospital."
1 Prince Harry Once Got In Trouble For Wearing An Offensive Halloween Costume
But the Princes' youths weren't completely free of controversy. Although Diana and Charles provided plenty of subject matter for the media to gossip and report on, sometimes the most shocking stories came from the young boys of the famously dysfunctional couple. While many of the pictures of the boys' childhood are sweet, cute images of them as little royal princes, this one sent the exact opposite message. At age 20, this image of Prince Harry wearing 'Axis' insignia to a private party went completely viral back in 2005, and people just couldn't stop talking about it. It's interesting to see how much Harry has changed since this unfortunate event, and he is now much more "royal" in his behavior.
All the way back in 2005, the Telegraph reported on this controversy, with the famous picture of the prince wearing the WWII enemy costume. As the article reported, people were "queuing up" to criticize the Prince, and there were even calls for him to be kicked out of his military training academy. Apparently, according to the Telegraph, the party was "Colonial-themed," and the costume was supposed to be a representation of the Afrika Korps. Needless to say, this was one of the most controversial moments of Prince Harry's life, and one that he has put behind him these days. Today, he is considered one of the most favored members of the royal family by the public.
References: closer.com, goodhousekeeping.com, today.com, independent.co.uk, care.com, telegraph.co.uk, hellomagazine.com, telegraph.co.uk, thedailybeast.com, thetelegraph.co.uk, baltimoresun.com, popsugar.com, royal.uk, etonline.com, telegraph.co.uk, birminghammail.co.uk, abcnews.go.com, telegraph.co.uk, time.com, express.co.uk, nowtolove.com, macleans.ca, eonline.com, dailymail.co.uk
