Prince Harry (Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor). A real prince

Title: Prince Henry of Wales
Full name: Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor
Father: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Mother: Diana, Princess of Wales
Was born: 15 September 1984 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

Prince Henry, known as Prince Harry, was born on September 15, 1984, and is the second son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. He was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Windsor Castle on 21 December 1984. His parents divorced in 1996, and his mother Princess Diana died in a car accident when he was 12 in 1997. He and his older brother William had to endure intense media interest following Diana's death and funeral.

He attended the same nursery and primary schools in London as his brother, followed by Ludgrove School in Berkshire and Eton College. He achieved A levels in art and history, joined the cadet school and developed interests in polo, rugby and mountaineering. After graduating from Eton, he took leave and went to Australia, where he worked at a cattle station, and then at orphanage to Lesotho.

In May 2005, Harry entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer cadet. In April 2006 he joined the Royal Household Cavalry with the rank of lieutenant. He was trained as a tank reconnaissance commander. He trained in Canada with other British soldiers in June 2007 and served with his regiment in Afghanistan from December 2007 to February 2008, when revelations in the world press forced him to return home. He returned to his duties in Britain as a lieutenant in the Royal Regiment. He trained as an Army helicopter pilot in 2009 and served a 20-week tour of duty in Afghanistan as a qualified Apache helicopter pilot in 2013. He retired from operational service with the rank of captain in June 2015 and maintains close links with Armed Forces charities.

He has a particular interest in the Sentabale Charity for children in Lesotho, and the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting event for wounded servicemen and women. He currently occupies fifth place on the throne. If he becomes king, he will probably be known as Henry IX.

On November 27, 2017, it was announced that he and his American girlfriend Meghan Markle had decided to get married. She is a divorced television and film actress, and they met in the summer of 2016. They are set to marry at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 19 May 2018.

Signature of Prince Henry (Harry)

Now look at the most important points from the life of the smiling prince and appreciate his great sense of humor.

Prince Harry's real name is Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor. They began to call him Harry early childhood, the name has become so attached to the boy that it is now used even in official sources. According to the British press, the Prince has another nickname - Spike. That's what his friends and security at Scotland Yard call him. In addition, under this name Harry allegedly registered in social network Facebook many years ago, but then deleted the account.

Prince Harry with his mother Princess Diana

According to biographers of the royal court, in childhood the characters of the princes were completely different: now a diligent family man, William was difficult child, which could lead to nervous breakdown everyone, including his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The joker and cheerful Harry, on the contrary, was reserved and modest.

As a child, Harry loved the crime series Starsky and Hutch about two police officers, but Diana forbade him to watch the show because large quantity violence on screen.

Prince Harry is the most smiling prince

In 2011, the press wrote many times that Harry was a fan of the franchise. Star Trek"(Star Trek). In addition, Harry allegedly wants to become the first British monarch to go into space. While the birthday boy has not yet managed to ascend into the stratosphere, he has made an expedition to South Pole.

Harry has repeatedly admitted in interviews that he inherited his sense of humor, surprisingly, from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. According to the prince, for closed doors his family members love to joke and laugh. That is why Harry and William are not afraid to joke with Her Majesty, knowing that “ba” will appreciate it. So, one day the young monarchs replaced the official voice message on her phone with their own. - Hey, how are you? It's Liz! Sorry, I'm a little far from the throne right now. For a hotline with Philip, press one. To connect with Charles, press two. And for the corgi (Elizabeth’s dog) - three.

Queen Elizabeth II smiles at Prince Harry, who is in the ranks. He can't help but smile back

Harry is ready to do anything to once again “split” his more serious older brother. So, during his official visit to Brazil in 2012, he received an offer to take part in the Sport Relief race. Harry agreed, but before the start he noticed one of the guests was wearing a mask with a photo of William. The monarch, without hesitation, borrowed it and ran in it to the delight of journalists. The prince decided that "this would make his brother laugh a lot."

For appearance Prince Harry is watched no less than Kate Middleton's fashionable looks. Once the prince managed to surprise fashion journalists and bloggers around the world. During his visit to Jamaica, Harry appeared in front of photographers in a classic white shirt, beige trousers and... bright blue boots. Harry answered questions from journalists like this: “Blue boots... Jamaica is such Jamaica, it was time to walk them out.” I fought the urge to wear them sooner, but knew I would soon be meeting Rita Marley (Bob Marley's widow), so through an incredible effort of will I put them off until now.

Harry and William often like to joke with each other in interviews. The youngest prince is especially famous for this. For example, once, after his visit to Brazil, Harry shared with the BBC: “When you are in Rio, everything around makes you dance.” I'm so happy and grateful that my brother didn't come here because he might have started doing it too... And that wouldn't have been cool at all!

William's baldness is also often inherited from Harry, who, unlike his brother, boasts thick hair (at least for now): “I think he's definitely smarter than me.” We discovered this with him at school, as well as his bald spot. Me and a couple of our friends are constantly trying to prick William one more time or embarrass him... Well, and make him lose a few hairs.

The appearance of Prince George in the royal family gave Harry additional reasons to joke about his brother. Even before the birth of the little heir, journalists asked his future uncle if he was going to babysit his nephew. Harry answered this with his usual sense of humor: “Of course.” I just hope my brother knows how expensive my babysitting services are.

When Harry went on an expedition to the South Pole in late December 2013, reporters asked him how Prince William felt about the trip. It turned out not very kindly. - My brother... I think he was jealous because, unlike him, I managed to get away from a constantly screaming child.

Prince William received another taunt from his younger brother during the Invictus Games. At that time, the press had already learned that Kate Middleton was expecting her second child, so they asked Harry to comment on this event. Harry replied, “I can’t wait to see my brother suffer even more.” If it is a girl, then the suffering and problems with her upbringing will only increase. I'll be happy to see how he handles all this!!!

Don’t rush to think that only William always gets it. He also never misses an opportunity to make fun of Harry, although he does it relatively less often. For example, one day William decided to prank his brother using a voice message. He tried to parody the voice of Harry's ex-girlfriend Chelsea Davy, not forgetting even the accent (Chelsea was born in Zimbabwe). - Hello, this is Chelsea. I just want to tell you that I miss you very much. I think you are the most beautiful redhead I have ever seen. Although I don’t know, maybe quite scary. Hope you're having a great time. I miss you so much. It's so beautiful here in Africa, and I hope to see you soon, big, hairy and fat redhead. Okay, we'll talk later.

In January 2010, British artist Nikki Philipps unveiled an official portrait of the two royal brothers. Prince Harry commented on the work with his usual sense of humor: “Well, I don’t know, I turned out to be much redder here than I really am.” It seems so to me. And they drew too much hair on William. But in general the portrait is quite nice, everything could have turned out much worse.

Usually fans ask celebrities for permission to take pictures with them, but Harry often takes the initiative himself, and at the most unexpected moment. At a recent Commonwealth Games swimming competition in Glasgow, Scotland, Harry saw the crowd in the lower rows taking a photo and made a quick decision to improve the photo.

About what they were lucky enough to do in every sense royal photograph, rugby coach Gordon Tietjens, Sport Manawatu executive Trevor Shayler and Massey University professor Emiritus Gary Hermansson only found out when they saw the finished photo. It subsequently appeared on the Massey University Twitter account.

Harry never passes up an opportunity to laugh - even at himself. So, on the eve of the start of the Invictus Games, Harry held a special event at which he introduced 130 Paralympians participating in future competitions. During the prince's speech, a gust of wind blew a piece of paper with his speech from the podium. Harry had to make a little effort to "catch up" with him, and this alone made the guests laugh a lot. When he finally managed to catch the leaf, he said to the participants standing nearby: “Thank you for not blowing on it from the left.”

Two weeks after the scandal in Las Vegas, as a result of which naked photographs of Prince Harry were published in the press, a charity event was planned in London - an evening to help children with leukemia. Shortly before it took place, British television interviewed several kids, one of whom was a boy named Alex. Reporters asked him if he knew anything about the prince. Alex admitted that he really wanted to talk to Harry and ask if he had his clothes back. Harry found out about this and when they met, laughing and wagging his finger, he said to the boy: I heard, young man, that you behaved a little cheeky during the interview with ITV. I suggest not to remember my embarrassment in Las Vegas at that party.

The youngest son of Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Diana was born on September 15, 1984 at St. Mary's Hospital in London - a week earlier than planned. According to media reports, the birth lasted nine hours. The boy, weighing 3.1 kilograms, was named Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor. The shortened version of "Harry" was considered family name, but soon began to be used in official sources.

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Princess Diana later admitted that her husband had always wanted a girl and could not contain his disappointment when she gave birth to another prince: "The first thing he said was: 'Oh my God, it's a boy.' Second: “And he even has red hair,” the princess recalled (her words are quoted in the biography by Edrew Morton, released in 1992).

Tim Graham/Getty Images

The birth of Prince Harry generated even more interest than Princess Diana's first birth, despite the fact that Harry was only the third heir to the throne at the time (he is currently the sixth in line to the crown). This was largely due to the growing popularity of Princess Diana, who from a modest aristocrat Spencer turned into the darling of Great Britain, eclipsing even Queen Elizabeth II.

Pictured: One-year-old Harry in the playroom at Kensington Palace, October 1985.

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Grandma's favorite

On Prince William as the future head royal family, there was always more responsibility - that’s why the relationship with my grandmother was more serious. It was even rumored that the queen showed affection towards her youngest grandson more love and worries. This topic began to be discussed especially actively in 2017, when the media discovered a portrait of Meghan Markle in the office of Elizabeth II - along with photographs of members of the royal family.

Ken Lennox/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

Young diplomat

Princess Diana described her son as "very artistic and athletic." In his youth, the prince showed interest in horse riding and hunting. On weekends, the royal family often went from Kensington Palace to Highgrove House, the residence of Prince Charles of Wales in Gloucestershire.

Harry often accompanied his mother to various official events and dinners.

In the photo: the young prince greets the performers of Cirque Du Soleil in August 1990.

News Group Newspapers Ltd / Legion Media

Interest in military service

Prince Harry attended the same educational institutions that Prince William is from London kindergarten Jane Mynors, Wetherby Primary School in London and Ludgrove School in Berkshire. During his studies he showed an interest in military affairs, which he retained after entering Eton College.

In the photo: the 9-year-old prince rides light tank while visiting the barracks of the British Army Cavalry Regiment in Hanover, Germany.

David Levenson/Getty Images

Irreplaceable loss

Harry was 12 years old when his mother died in a car accident. He and his brother Prince William took part in the mournful procession - the young heirs to the British crown had to experience their grief in front of the whole country. The participation of the princes in the funeral ceremony was criticized by Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, who called the decision of the royal family "inappropriate and cruel." Harry himself at first said that such actions should not be demanded of any child under any circumstances, but later changed his position and said that it was a joint and necessary choice, and now, looking back, he is glad that he did so then.

In the photo: Prince Philip, William, Earl Charles Spencer, Princes Harry and Charles.

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Studying at Eton

Like his older brother, Harry entered Eton College (in 1998). There he played on the rugby, cricket and polo teams. Voluntarily joined the United cadet corps, passed military training, in May 2003 received the rank of officer cadet. The prince graduated from Eton College with modest results.

Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images

Graduate

During his time at Eton, Prince Harry earned a reputation as the most rowdy member of the royal family. In 2002, he admitted to his father that he used marijuana. Prince Charles then decided to send his 17-year-old son to Featherstone Lodge for a day so he could learn about the consequences of drug use from people with real addictions.

Pictured: Prince Harry in his halls of residence at Eton College shortly before graduating, 2003.

POOL/Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images

In mother's footsteps

After college, Prince Harry took a gap year, which he spent doing charity work abroad. He continued his mother's campaign against landmines and became a trustee of the HALO Trust, which clears mines and unexploded ordnance that pose a danger to civilians. In 2006, the prince went to Lesotho, where, in particular, he worked in a shelter for orphans whose parents died of AIDS. In the South African kingdom, Harry, together with the Prince of Lesotho, founded the charitable organization Sentebale to help these children.

Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

Tabloid hero

In 2005, 20-year-old Harry appeared at a costume party wearing clothes imitating the uniform of African military units of the Third Reich. This caused violent indignation among anti-fascist and Jewish organizations. The prince had to explain himself: in his statement, he admitted that it was a “rash choice” and that he regrets what happened.

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Pride of Windsor

In May 2005, Prince Harry began his studies at Sandhurst Military Academy in Surrey, and a year later he was commissioned with the rank of cornet in the Blues and Royals Regiment of the Royal Horse Guards and sent to serve in Windsor.

In the photo: Elizabeth II receives a parade of the Royal Horse Guards.

John Stillwell / POOL /Anwar Hussein Collection / WireImage / Getty Images

Military service

In early 2007, Prince Harry was preparing to serve in Iraq, but due to information about possible assassination attempt and the threats received, the leadership of the British armed forces decided not to send him there. The prince was very upset by the actions of his superiors and threatened to leave military service. As a result, he was nevertheless sent to a hot spot - Afghanistan, where he secretly served as an aircraft gunner. However, the media found out about his whereabouts, after which the prince had to be returned to the UK for safety reasons.

In 2008-2009, Harry took military helicopter piloting courses and passed the military helicopter pilot exam. In 2011, he completed a 10-month elite pilot training course combat helicopter Apache and was soon promoted to captain air force Great Britain, which allowed him to return to Afghanistan. It is known that during the second service the prince destroyed one of field commanders Taliban movement. Harry became the first member of the royal family since his uncle, the Duke. York Andrew, who took a direct part in the fighting (the Duke participated in the Falklands War with Argentina in 1982).

CARL DE SOUZA / POOL / AFP / East News

Party Lover

In 2012, Prince Harry again found himself on the pages of the tabloids. While on vacation in Las Vegas, he staged a strip game and nude photographs of him were leaked to the press. British royal house released a statement saying the prince was on a private trip and resting before returning to military duty.

Pictured: Prince Harry with Kanye West and P Diddy during a music festival in memory of Princess Diana in 2007.

Paul Thomas/Getty Images

Invictus Games

At the end of his military career, Prince Harry announced the start sports competitions Invictus Games (“Games of the Invictus”) for former and current military personnel who have become disabled. Men compete annually in basketball, volleyball, rugby and indoor rowing.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

International relations

During a trip to Washington in 2015, Prince Harry met Barack Obama, which developed into a friendship (two years later, Harry interviewed Obama for a BBC Radio 4 broadcast). The American President helped British prince“promote” the next Invictus Games, which were supposed to take place in May 2016 in Orlando (Florida).

For this, Obama and his wife Michelle

Prince Harry, unlike his brother, has never been distinguished by exemplary behavior and the stiffness inherent in royalty. Before marrying a Hollywood beauty, Britain's favorite was "registered" in scandalous chronicles, went to war and stole the hearts of millions of Cinderellas from different corners globe.

Childhood and family

Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor, the youngest son of Prince Charles of Wales and Lady Diana, was born on 15 September 1984 at St Mary's Hospital, London, where his brother William was born two years earlier.

It is known that a prince was born for a week ahead of schedule, And difficult birth lasted more than nine hours. The family called the boy Harry for short, and soon he began to introduce himself by that name.

The red-haired, mischievous prince immediately became the object of attention of the paparazzi. And as he grew up, he more than once found himself the hero of scandalous publications and love affairs.

Harry grew up artistic and a sporty child, Lady Di abandoned the tradition of raising royal offspring at home and enrolled her sons in Jane Symores' kindergarten, after which both boys became students primary school Wetherby and then Ludgrove School. Harry was involved in horse riding, but was most interested in military affairs.

Tragic death The boys accepted their mother's marriage steadfastly in August 1997, but the more reserved William was never able to establish a relationship with Lady Camilla, whom their father married a few years later. Prince Harry, on the contrary, fell in love with his stepmother and, with his characteristic spontaneity, stated in one of his interviews that Camilla is not at all like the evil stepmother from fairy tales.

In 1998, the prince entered Eton, where his brother was already studying. In college, the royal earned a reputation as a bully and graduated in 2003 with very modest results. Somewhat later, he admitted to his father that it was in college that he first tried marijuana, learned to smoke and became addicted to alcohol. How much of this is true is unknown, but sporting achievements The prince is told the opposite: he was considered the best player on the college rugby team, played excellent cricket and was a brilliant swimmer. Harry also joined, and voluntarily, the cadet corps, where he underwent basic military training, which weaklings and drug addicts, of course, are not capable of.

Prince Charles was frankly frightened by his son's words; without hesitation, he took his son to the Featherstone Lodge rehabilitation center for drug addicts and alcoholics, so that he, as they say, would learn first-hand about the hellish horrors that await every drug addict.

Adult life. Britain's favorite

In 2004, the prince became interested in charity work. After graduating from college, he became involved with his mother's campaign against landmines, and in early 2005 he traveled to Lesotho, where he worked at an orphanage. Prince Harry also founded the Sentebale charity foundation and became the author of a documentary about hard life children of many African countries.

Harry's work in the charitable field was noted as outstanding and selfless, and the crowned grandmother became proud of her beloved grandson, whose photos with African children did not leave the front pages of the media. However, in the same year, Harry suddenly appeared at a party in the uniform of the African Wehrmacht troops with a swastika patch, which should have erupted into a huge scandal, but the sincere apology that the prince made was accepted by the offended anti-fascist and Jewish organizations.

In the spring of 2005, the prince was enrolled at Sandhurst Academy, after which he was sent to serve in the Royal Horse Guards. For a year, Harry served in Windsor, but decided to go to Iraq, which all the newspapers trumpeted, and soon intelligence agents received information that an attempt would be made on Harry's life in Iraq. Both his father and brother, and especially his grandmother, who saw in Harry an undeniable resemblance to Consort King Philip in his youth, opposed his departure to Iraq, and then Harry went to Afghanistan, where he served as an aircraft gunner until 2008. When information about his exact location fell into the hands of journalists, Harry was forced to leave the unit and return to Britain.

Two years later, the prince again went to fight in Afghanistan. After completing military piloting courses, he received the rank of captain in the British Air Force and during his second term of service he even eliminated one of the Taliban leaders. A bounty was placed on the prince's head, and the queen personally recalled her beloved grandson from the military base.

Returning to his homeland, Harry acted as the initiator and organizer of international sports games for military personnel who became disabled during service. In 2015, Harry visited the United States and met with Barack Obama and his wife, who helped bring the Invictus Games to the attention of the American public, and the games took place in the spring of 2016 in Orlando, Florida.

Prince Harry's personal life

Until 2017, the golden-haired prince was the dream of Cinderellas all over the planet, despite his frivolity and the number of failed princesses. Among Harry's lovers were actresses, models, singers and television presenters.

The prince does not hide the fact that his first love was Chelsea Davy, a pretty blonde and the daughter of a media tycoon who made a fortune from the Safari organization. The lovers' relationship lasted from approximately 2004 to 2009, but Chelsea refused to become a princess and initiated the breakup. A year later, Harry and Chelsea attempted to renew their relationship, but they failed.

Harry had a series of short-term romances with TV personalities Natalie Pinkham and Caroline Flack, singers Camilla Romstrand, Ellie Goulding and Mollie King and an actress who belonged to ancient family British aristocrats, Crissinda Bonas was interrupted after the prince met Meghan Markle, an actress who starred in several television projects. Despite her European appearance, the blood of African slaves flows in Megan’s veins, which, however, was not an obstacle to their marriage, which took place at the end of May 2018.

It is known that the new Windsors concluded marriage contract, which was an unprecedented case in the history of the royal family, as well as the presence of African-American blood in the veins of the beautiful Meghan, who became the Duchess of Sussex.

The settled hero of scandalous chronicles still often appears on the pages of tabloids, but now as a positive character, continuing the charitable activities begun by his mother, and carrying out representative functions in accordance with the traditions of the parliamentary monarchy.

In March 2019, the couple paid tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack in New Zealand, and before that they paid a visit to the British ambassador to Morocco, staying in the country for several days. The birth of the first child in the family of the Dukes of Sussex is expected no earlier than April 2019; the gender of the child has not been disclosed; according to some reports, the name Diana was chosen for the girl, and Arthur for the boy. It is also known that the godparents will be Jessica Mulroney, Meghan's stylist and friend, and Nicholas Van Cutsem, a close friend of Harry, who, by the way, is already the godfather of Prince Louis, the son of Prince William and

Once the most eligible bachelor Britannia, heir royal title Prince Harry, it would seem, is the embodiment of the dreams of all girls in the world. He is very attractive, athletic, brave, he has tall, incredibly red hair and a wide snow-white smile. What a charm youngest child in the family, the most spoiled of all, always gave his image a certain playfulness and attractiveness.

But the coin has two sides; Prince Harry managed to mess things up during his turbulent youth, becoming a participant and initiator of several serious scandals. And for a long time he didn’t have a good time in love - his beloved girls ran away, unable to withstand the onslaught of demands on a potential life partner crown prince. Will the prince's new relationship with a little-known American actress in Britain turn into something serious, or will everything remain the whirlwind romance of 2016 - that's what people around the world are gossiping about.

Harry is the fifth heir to the throne, the second son of the royal family. Harry's mom and dad, Prince Charles, doted on their youngest, mischievous son. As a child, Harry was naughty but charming. Like his older brother, Harry did not receive an individual education, but went to a London school with ordinary children of non-royal blood.

It was a real royal ceremony, which was watched all over the world, so the entire process and actions of the participants were clearly calculated and distributed in minutes. Chelsea could not withstand such intense pressure, although she carried herself with dignity. After the wedding, she admitted that she was not ready to live her whole life under such close attention, so she fled from England to Africa to live with her father and broke off her relationship with Harry.

Poor Harry had no choice but to accept the girl’s decision - he himself could not follow her to the other side of the world, abandoning the responsibility and obligations imposed on him by his origin.

After Chelsea, the prince had a long downtime love front, he could not find a worthy chosen one. He had models, aristocrats, and singers. At one moment he fell in love - the object of his adoration became famous actress. The girl was flattered by the attention shown by the prince, but their fleeting romance did not lead to anything serious.

In 2016, Harry begins a relationship with an American actress who stars in popular television series. They kept their budding relationship a secret for a long time; the affair became officially known only in the fall of 2016. At the end of the year, journalists finally captured the couple together - photos of Meghan and Harry walking hand in hand through central London spread all over the world.

According to representatives of the couple, they highly value the opportunity to lead their personal lives in a private, almost secret, manner, but they do not want to hide from the press and are not at all opposed to sometimes appearing together in public. Needless to say, what is behind this royal romance the whole world is watching.

At the beginning of 2017, rumors appeared that things were very serious with the couple. It is quite possible that the dream of millions of girls will soon change their bachelor status and get married. Harry has already begun to introduce Meghan to family members, the first being his brother’s wife Kate - she is very close to Harry, and he often listens to her opinion. The Duchess liked Meghan and the meeting was cordial.

Of course, the most difficult thing for Markle is still ahead - Harry's grandmother, current queen Britain, judging by rumors, is not very happy with the choice youngest grandson. She still believes that for the sake of the crown, all heirs of the royal family should marry their own kind, and not according to the call of their hearts. But times are changing, and a new generation of British heirs to the throne are ready to do anything to marry for love.

Prince Harry now

Many people remember that Prince William and Kate Middleton got engaged in secret from the public. Harry and Meghan still turned out to be less secretive. On November 27 it became known that.

On May 19, 2018 it took place. The ceremony was attended by members of the royal family, famous personalities and ordinary people. Prince Charles himself led Markle to the altar, since the girl’s father could not come.

Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

In October 2018 it became known that. Prince Harry's first child will arrive in the spring of 2019.

Youngest son Prince of Wales Charles and Princess Diana, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. Fifth in line to the throne of the United Kingdom.

Biography of Prince Harry / Prince Henry of Wales

Prince Henry of Wales(Prince Henry of Wales), full name which sounds like Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor(Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor), born on September 15, 1984 in Paddington, London, at St. Mary's Hospital, like his older brother William, in the family Prince of Wales Charles and his first wife - the favorite of all Britain and the most popular princess in the world - Lady Diana.

Harry is the prince's unofficial, home name, although the whole world knows him by it. Also, Harry, like his older brother William, is not the holder of the title “Prince of Wales” - the title belongs exclusively to the immediate heir to the British throne - his father Charles.

Prince Harry's mother princess diana, who did a lot to make the royal family closer to the people, insisted that her children should not study in isolation, but in a school where they could communicate with their peers. She tried to make the life of her sons as normal as possible, like that of ordinary Britons. In 1987, Prince Harry began studying at Wetherby School, and in 1992 he moved to Ludgrove School in Berkshire, where his brother William also studied. Princess Diana's youngest son spent five years at this school.

Tragedy in the life of 12-year-old Prince Harry / Prince Henry of Wales

On recent years While studying at Ludgrove, the most difficult events in Harry's life occurred. First, his parents divorced in 1996, and on August 31, 1997, the boy’s mother tragically died in a car accident. For the twelve-year-old heir and his fifteen-year-old brother it became serious shock and a test. About the death of Diana, her sons, who were at that time with their father and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at Balmoral Castle at the family summer vacation, we found out only the next day after the incident. A few hours later, Harry, in the company of his loved ones, attended a funeral service at the local Crathie Kirk church, although, according to his recollections, this was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment. But the royal status required the opposite.

Prince Harry: I didn't want to see anything, I didn't want to know what other people wrote about my mother. Only later did I find out how much good words it was said about her, but at that moment I had nothing to do with it, because I was in a state of shock. I was wearing a strange little jacket with a terrible tie. Everyone expected to see my grief and tears, but what does everyone want to get from such an expression of emotions? Now I'm glad I never cried in public, there must be a line between grief at work and personal grief. Even if someone tried to provoke me into tears in public, I did not give in.

A little later, Harry, his brother William and the rest of the royal family returned to London, where preparations for Diana's funeral began. During the funeral procession, both princes followed their mother's coffin, although many, including Diana's brother, condemned the decision to have Harry and William participate in this ceremony.

Prince Harry on his mother's funeral: I still don't have a definite opinion whether it was the right decision or not. However, I can definitely say that I am glad to have the opportunity to be part of that day.

After the death of their mother, both of her sons gradually tried to establish a “normal” life. Once upon a time a journalist's question about whether Diana would be glad that he and William returned to their old ways way of life, Prince Harry responded: “I think she would be happy to know how we feel about it, but she wouldn’t like how other people feel about it: “Look, you’re not like everyone else - you’re not ordinary, so stop it.” try to be ordinary people“We’ve heard enough of this. "You have a great responsibility." Of course, yes, we know that we are responsible for certain things. But in privacy and some other aspects of it, we want to be as normal as possible. Yes, it’s not easy, because in some ways we will never be ordinary people.” Years later, in a 2017 interview for a BBC documentary marking the 20th anniversary of Lady Di's death, Harry and his brother William admitted that The paparazzi are also blamed for the tragedy, since they believe that it is because of them that recent months their mother's life was unbearable.

Continuation of Prince Harry's studies / Prince Henry of Wales

In 1998, Prince Harry entered Eton, against the will of the Windsor dynasty, which sent representatives of the family to Gordonstown. While still at Berkshire school, the boy gained a reputation as a troubled teenager who often got involved in various adventures. This behavior was also influenced by the loss of his mother, with whom he had always been very close. It was after the Paris disaster that his rebellious character began to emerge. At Eton College, where his brother William had previously studied successfully, Harry received a negative grade in geography. Teachers assessed the boy, who excelled in rugby and polo, as a weak student, but he still graduated from college in 2003, gaining the required number of points for further income to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

However, first Harry took academic leave. He traveled to Australia and Africa, spent several months in Lesotho, where he filmed documentary The Forgotten Kingdom: Prince Harry in Lesotho, which tells the story of the orphans of this country. Later, in 2006, together with Prince Siiso of Lesotho, the grandson of the British queen created the Sentebale charity organization, whose mission is to help children in Africa.

Prince Harry: My brother and I are slowly realizing that our name can help make a real difference. You know, Sentebale means don't forget. This means - don’t forget about your children, your mothers. After all, Prince Siiso and I both lost our mothers at an early age.

Military and royal activities of Prince Harry / Prince Henry of Wales

On May 8, 2005, Harry, who by this time had been dubbed a “crazy child” by the media due to his history of drinking alcohol from the age of 17 and using drugs from the age of 15, entered the Royal Military Academy. This was preceded by another scandal. At the beginning of the year, the prince appeared at a costume party wearing ammunition similar to a Wehrmacht uniform. Harry subsequently apologized for his outburst. And in April 2006, with the rank of second lieutenant, he was enlisted in the elite Blues and Royals regiment of the Palace Cavalry. It was soon announced that the prince would participate in military operations in Iraq.

However, in 2007, his location changed to Afghanistan. There, from December 2007 to February 2008, Harry spent the first stage of his service in Helmand province as an aircraft gunner, for which he received the medal “For participation in the military campaign in Afghanistan.” Over the subsequent years of service, as reported in the British and American press, the prince repeatedly participated in military special operations; the leaders of the Taliban movement even placed a special reward on the head of the British heir to the throne, who more than once risked his life while performing combat missions.

In 2013, Prince Harry completed his military service in Afghanistan as a co-pilot of the Royal Air Force Apache helicopter and was recalled to Britain. After information about the stay of the grandson of Elizabeth II in Afghanistan was leaked to foreign press, the guy was forced to terminate his stay there early for security reasons. According to the prince himself, he took the most active participation in military operations and personally destroyed the Taliban from the air, in which he was helped to some extent by his skills as a video gamer.

Prince Harry: I'm someone who really loves video games and plays PlayStation and Xbox regularly. I think my fingers getting used to the joystick did some good... Overall military service I liked it in Afghanistan. The only inconvenience is increased attention from colleagues. They literally stared at me with bated breath. For me, it’s better to serve somewhere quieter. For example, at a small patrol base of the Palace Cavalry regiment.

In an interview in 2014, Harry admitted that he really misses the army, because it gave him the opportunity to do something important away from the constant attention to his person, taught him discipline, courage, friendship, as well as respect for people and the monarchy. According to the prince himself, he was forced to leave the army because he realized that the level of his knowledge lagged behind the required: “I realized that I simply could not keep up with all the innovations due to the combination of service and royal duties. Didn't feel like I could be trusted aircraft... Now I am being treated by doctors for the consequences of ten years of military service. Unfortunately, my body has suffered enough during this time.”

Military service, meanwhile, helped the prince find his further special royal cause - supporting wounded soldiers, veterans and organizing the Invictus Games Paralympic Games, launched in 2014 in Britain, and then launched in the American version.

In June 2015, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry had finally left the Armed Forces, having previously spent time in army units in Darwin, Perth and Sydney, and then was seconded to the Australian Defense Force (ADF). After the end of the service, in addition to charity, which Henry became even more active in, he focused on other duties of the heir to the throne, including meetings at top level with leaders different countries, diplomatic receptions, receptions in palaces, etc. So, in 2016, from November to December, he visited the Caribbean on behalf of his grandmother, the queen, and the British Foreign Office, and on World Aid Day, Harry and the singer Rihanna took part in advertising HIV testing, testing themselves as an example to others. In 2017, Harry met with the Queen of Denmark at Amalienborg Palace.

Personal life of Prince Harry / Prince Henry of Wales

The personal life of the royal offspring is a very tasty topic for the tabloids and paparazzi, who do not leave noble people even a drop of hope for privacy or keeping any secrets. In an interview in 2016, Harry admitted that excessive press attention contributed to his massive paranoia.

Prince Harry on privacy: Even ordinary conversation with representatives of the opposite sex is fraught. As soon as I just start talking to someone, she immediately becomes almost my wife, they start guarding her near the door... Every person should have the right to a private life. I consider the insatiable desire to find out what is happening behind closed doors unnecessary.

For several years, Prince Harry dated the daughter of the owner of a large safari tour business. Chelsea Davey, whom I met in England back in school years. They became a couple after they met in Africa, where the girl was from. For five years, until 2009, their relationship was filled with romance. Harry's chosen one was accepted by his family. However, then a series of separations and reunions followed. In April 2011, Chelsea attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and then finally broke up with Harry, telling the press that life in the royal family was not entirely suitable for her. Henry himself said in an interview that he is no longer averse to getting married, but he realizes that the role of his wife is also a kind of work.

Prince Harry: Look at me, I'm already 27 years old. I, rather, am already looking not for someone who would be suitable for this role (the role of a wife), but for one who would be ready to take on all this (responsibilities).

Looking for a bride Prince Harry he wasn’t bored, as was also evidenced by the scandals involving him. So, in the summer of 2012, photographs of a naked prince taken in Las Vegas went around the entire Internet: he was playing strip billiards. As a result, the prince's girlfriend is the granddaughter Edward Curzon, 6th Earl of Howe, Cressida Bonas, whom he met in May 2012, left him after the publication of incriminating photographs. However, in 2013, the couple resumed their relationship and there was even news of an engagement. And in the spring of 2014, Harry and Cressida separated, after which the prince was seen in the company of actress J. Coleman (“Victoria”, “The First Avenger”, “Me Before You”), Pippa Middleton, younger sister Kate Middleton, models and actresses Juliette Labelle etc.

Prince Harry on choosing a chosen one (from an interview in 2016): Having found a companion, I will make every effort so that she and I can first get to know each other well, before the press begins to interfere in her life. And this, alas, is inevitable. To be honest, I don’t have many opportunities to communicate and meet new people. I'm busy with work, but if someone manages to unexpectedly sneak into my life, it will be just wonderful... Usually people after work - in the City, or anywhere else - go to a bar with friends. I rarely succeed. This is not a vacation for me. I never know who I will bump into, who will try to take a selfie with me, who will be waiting outside... It really limits your privacy.

In May 2016, Prince Harry met American actress Meghan Markle (“Knight Rider,” “Horrible Bosses,” “Suits”) at the opening of the Invictus Games for disabled soldiers in Orlando. Their romance became widely known only in November last year. According to rumors, one of the topics that brought Harry and Megan closer was their charitable work in Africa: the prince was involved in helping elephants there, and his girlfriend was involved in issues of equal rights for women. November 27, 2017 at official page Kensington Palace announced the engagement of the couple on Instagram, who planned a wedding for spring 2018.

Even before the engagement, Harry began introducing Meghan to members of his family, the first being Kate, his brother's wife. The Duchess is very close to Harry, they always listened to each other's opinions. The meeting between Megan and Kate was cordial. Harry's grandmother, the current Queen of Britain Elizabeth II, is not too happy with the choice of her youngest grandson. She is firmly convinced that the heirs of the royal family do not marry according to their hearts, what is more important is the position of the bride in society. But the prince was adamant.

On May 19, 2018, the wedding of Harry and Meghan took place. All members of the royal family, famous personalities and ordinary residents of Great Britain were invited to the celebration. Everyone could watch the ceremony via live broadcast. To the altar Meghan Markle drove it myself Prince Charles, since my father could not come to the wedding. On their wedding day, Queen Elizabeth announced that the couple would receive new titles - Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Meghan Markle agreed to accompany her husband on his “work trips,” and Australia became the first point on Harry and Meghan’s travel map. The couple attended the Invictus Games sporting event in Sydney, organized by Prince Harry. After visiting Australia, the couple went to Fiji, then to the Kingdom of Tonga and New Zealand. Prince Harry I am sincerely glad to receive support from my wife.

I am incredibly grateful to have my wife, Megan, join me in my work and am excited to be a part of our official work journey.

There is no exact information yet about the addition to the royal family, but the media claim that the couple is seriously thinking about children, although the British royal court has not yet commented on these rumors.

Interesting facts about Prince Harry / Prince Henry of Wales

On Harry's 18th birthday, as a member of the royal family, he was granted a personal coat of arms based on the state emblem of the British monarch.

In January 2009, the British tabloid News of the World published a video Harry made back in 2006 in which the prince referred to a Pakistani fellow officer as “our little friend Paki.” This and several other similar terms were regarded by the media as unacceptable and racist expressions. Harry was dubbed a "thug" by a British Muslim youth organization. In turn, a representative of the royal family apologized for the young prince.

In September 2011, at the offices of the global brokerage firm BGC Partners in London, Harry tried himself as a broker and set a world record by closing the largest deal in the annual charity auction of 18 billion euros between the British bank Barclays and a European partner.

In August 2012, another incident occurred around the Windsor heir. loud scandal. The media published photographs of naked Harry and a certain girl participating in a closed party in Las Vegas, America. The situation angered the royal family, who also claimed that Harry's private life was being violated.

Polls in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Prince Henry to be the third most popular member of the royal family, behind William and Elizabeth II.

In June 2015, Harry was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. On July 12, 2017, in Spain, he received the title of Commander First Class of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

In the spring of 2017, it became known that Henry intended to act as patron of the Royal Marine Corps, replacing his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, in this post, who decided to step away from the ceremonial duties of a representative of the royal family. candidacy youngest son Princess Diana was approved at that time by the commander of the Marines, Major General Rob Magowan, but the final word remained with Harry’s grandmother.