Regal Facts About Prince Harry, The Royal Who Walked Away

July 15, 2020 | Josh Mendelssohn

Regal Facts About Prince Harry, The Royal Who Walked Away


You might think of him as the Royal Family’s “other brother,” but while he doesn’t face the same scrutiny as his older brother, William, Prince Harry lives a pretty eventful life. Soldier, spokesman, and philanthropist, Harry is about to add “husband to Meghan Markle” to his list of titles. Here are 42 regal facts about Prince Harry.


Prince Harry Facts

1. His Real Name Isn’t Harry

Although the world knows him as Prince Harry, Harry’s full name is actually Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor of Wales. Harry was given his rather lengthy name upon his christening at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on December 21, 1984, which was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Prince Harry Attends The Sovereign's ParadeGetty Images

2. He’s Been Moved Down the Line of Succession

At the time of his birth, Prince Harry was third in line for the British throne. The birth of his brother William’s three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, has, for now, bumped him to sixth place—but he seems to have no interest in the job anyway (more on that later).

HRH Prince Of Wales & Family Enjoy Skiing Holiday In Klosters.Getty Images

3. He’s Been Subject to Vicious Rumors

Being a royal isn’t easy—especially when your parents are the ever-controversial Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Sadly, Prince Harry was initiated into this world very early in his life when his name came up in a disturbing scandal. In the 1990s, rumors began to spread that Charles wasn’t actually his father—but the salacious story didn’t stop there.

Princess Diana And Prince Charles In Australia.Getty Images

4. People Thought Charles Wasn’t His Father

The rumors alleged that his real father may actually be James Hewitt, a former cavalry officer in the British Army—and for good reason. In the 80s, Princess Diana had an ongoing affair with Hewitt, a secret that Hewitt revealed in the 90s. Press jumped on the story, and Hewitt’s physical resemblance to Harry didn’t help.

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5. The Rumors Dissipated, But Still Hurt

While Hewitt openly admitted to his affair with Diana, he vehemently denied that he was Harry’s father, saying that Harry was already a toddler by the time he met Diana. Others close to Diana corroborated this timeline, but it brought an unwelcome amount of attention to the young prince.

Princess Diana FactsFlickr

6. He Was Sent Away From His Parents

At the age of seven, Harry was sent off to Ludgrove boarding school, where his brother William had gone—but many speculated there was a darker reason for sending Harry away. It coincided with news of his mother's intimate conversations with her boyfriend James Gilbey, and some suspect Harry was sent off, in part, to shield him from the media.

After Ludgrove, Harry followed William to the prestigious Eton College.

Prince Harry FactsWikimedia Commons

7. He’s a Smart Cookie

Prince Harry was actually a pretty good student, getting mostly As and Bs during his time at Ludgrove and Eton. Somewhat ironically for a future world traveler, his lowest grade was in Geography, where he got a D. But as we’ve seen, young Harry was always subject to intense scrutiny and brutal rumors—and this was unfortunately true at school as well.

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8. He Was the Subject of a Grades Scandal

While Prince Harry was at Eton, he was the target of a vicious accusation. It was alleged that he’d cheated on his exams, and it came from a disturbing source—one of his teachers. She claimed that there was something of a “conspiracy” within Eton to inflate the prince’s grades. A tribunal was called to address the allegations—and their findings were surprising.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

9. It Didn’t End Terribly Well

While some sources have claimed that the tribunal cleared Harry’s name, it’s not so simple. It actually made no official ruling on the allegation that he’d cheated on his exams. It did find that he’d received some help on a major project he’d had to complete in order to enter the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where his brother was a student.

Prince Harry FactsWikimedia Commons, Albert Sydney

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10. He Loved His Mother Deeply

Prince Harry was always close with his mother, Princess Diana. Sadly, throughout his childhood, his parents’ already-rocky marriage was plagued by rumors of infidelity. Eventually, it was all too much for the family to bear, and Charles and Diana separated in 1992. Harry was just 8 years old, but the worst was yet to come.

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11. He Saw Hardship at a Young Age

Diana was always very aware of how men in the royal family had been raised and educated, and she was determined that her sons have a different type of childhood. The princess was a dedicated humanitarian, and she would often take Harry and his brother along with her to the homeless shelters she volunteered at, as well as Centrepoint, a charity that looks after homeless youth.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

12. His Parents’ Divorce Was Devastating…

After separating in 1992, Prince Charles and Princess Diana finally divorced in 1996, just one month before Harry’s 12th birthday. Even before that, the effects of the separation had been devastating on the young prince, and Harry later recalled that with all the going back-and-forth between parents that he and his brother had to do, he felt like he didn’t get enough time with either of them—which makes what happened next all the more tragic.

Princess Diana FactsFlickr

13. …But the Loss of Diana Was the Worst

Just a year and a week after the divorce papers were signed, Princess Diana was involved in a horrific car accident that took her life. Harry was 12 years old when his mother passed, and the tragic loss still colors his life to this day. Photos taken before Diana’s passing show a beaming, playful young Harry with his beloved mum, while many of the photos of him from his teens show him looking sullen and glum.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

14. The Aftermath Was Brutal

After Diana’s passing, the media descended upon her ex-husband and two sons—and young Harry felt the brunt of it. He’s said that even to this day, when he hears the click of a camera shutter or sees the bright light of a flash, he’s taken back to the time immediately following her passing. He also revealed that he had horrific nightmares for years afterward.

UK: Funeral of Frances Shand Kydd. Prince William and prince Harry.Getty Images

15. He Recreated One of His Mother’s Last Trips

In early 1997, Princess Diana had visited Nelson Mandela in South Africa. Following her passing, Prince Charles took Prince Harry on a similar trip, which he says helped lift his spirits. Since then, he’s done a lot of charity work and fundraising in South Africa and Lesotho, and taken up a number of causes that were close to his mother’s heart.

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16. He Went the Military Route

While at Eton, Prince Harry developed a keen interest in the military, where he signed up for the Combined Cadet Force. After graduating, Harry went on to join his older brother Wills at the Royal Military Acadamy Sandhurst, leaving as a second lieutenant in 2006. This wouldn’t be his last brush with the military…

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17. He Did Get Some Time Off

Before he ended up at Sandhurst, Prince Harry took a gap year, which led him to a number of interesting places. Harry spent three months in Australia, working on the ranch of Annie and Noel Hill, who had been friends of Diana. Harry was a “jackaroo,” something like an Australian cowboy: it was his job to round up and tend cattle.

In addition to his traveling and scandal-dodging (more on that later), he took a qualifying course to become a rugby coach. He has helped coach at five different schools throughout England.

Prince Harry Facts Wikipedia

18. His First Girlfriend Was a Party Girl

Around this time, while visiting Africa, Harry met a young woman named Chelsy Davy. The daughter of a Zimbabwean landowner, she shared Harry’s passion for sport, adventure, and partying. Immediately, they were the subject of tabloid scrutiny…and Harry ended up only fuelling the fire with his wild behavior.

Prince Harry Facts Wikipedia

19. He Hates the Media

Still, Prince Harry was keenly aware that he and Davy were being watched, and the effect the same scrutiny had on his mother. Around the time of his 21st birthday, he said in an interview that he’d love to share more about his relationship with Davy, but that every time he gave the media an inch, they took a mile—even saying, “There is truth and there is lies and unfortunately I cannot get the truth across."

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20. His Worst Misstep Was Truly Awful

Around this time, in 2005, Harry was photographed at a costume party—and when the images were shared, the world was absolutely shocked. The theme of the party, “Natives and Colonials” might have been bad enough, but Harry’s choice of costume–an Nazi Germany Africa Corps uniform, complete with that symbol on the armband–caused fury among the media and public alike.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

21. He Apologized…But Some Wanted More

Kids will be kids, but that’s no excuse for the kind of misstep that Harry made when he dressed up as an SS soldier for a costume party. While Prince Harry issued a statement apologizing for his insensitive choice of costume, many politicians insisted that a public apology, issued by the prince, was needed. However, the Lord Chancellor deemed it unnecessary.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

22. He Has More Power Than Most Think

While Harry may be further down the line of succession, it’s still possible that he could yield a great deal of power were something to happen to Queen Elizabeth. In the event that she is incapacitated, the Counsellors of State would take over. He was added to this group in 2005, when he turned 21. The group includes his grandfather, father, brother, and uncle Andrew.

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23. He’s Still Working Through His Grief

Harry has recently opened up about the grief he felt after his mother’s death. In 2017, he told a reporter that, on William’s suggestion, he began seeing a grief counselor. He also said that boxing, helped him deal with the emotions he’d been repressing since the tragedy.

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24. He Was a Hard Partier

In the early 2000s, Prince Harry gained a reputation as a hard-partying “wild child.” In this golden era of tabloid coverage of the royals, press photos frequently emerged of Harry and his friends in and out of nightclubs looking a little less-than-sober—but that wasn’t the worst part.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

25. It Was More Than Just Drinking

During the time, he was not only caught on camera drinking and smoking pot, he would also frequently get into brawls with members of the paparazzi who followed him around. Considering the role that the paparazzi played in his mother’s untimely passing, it’s easy to imagine why he was aggressive with them.

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26. He Went to Rehab…Kind Of

This sort of behavior had actually been going on for a long time. When Harry was a teen, he’d been caught smoking and drinking while at Eton. As a result, his father brought him to Featherstone Lodge, a rehab center—but of course, a royal actually entering rehab would be way too scandalous for the House of Windsor.

Instead, Harry spent all of one day there learning the perils of drugs and alcohol. While those from the center said he was very receptive, he still spent his early 20s partying hard.

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27. People Expected Him to Settle Down

Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy had an on-again-off-again relationship for five years throughout the early 2000s. The sheer length of their relationship led to much speculation that they’d get engaged and that Harry would leave his partying days behind him—but it wasn’t meant to be. They parted ways in 2009, but remain friends.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

28. His Next Girlfriend Seemed Like the One

After the breakup with Davy, Prince Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie introduced him to one of her friends, an actress and model named Cressida Bonas. The tabloids immediately went wild—Bonas’s grandfather was an Earl, making her marriage material in terms of royalty. But it was that exact scrutiny that would spell an unhappy end for the young couple.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

29. He Got Dumped—Hard

Prince Harry was head over heels for Bonas, and their relationship carried on over a couple of years—after all, most of the press attention at that time was directed toward Prince William and his new wife, Kate Middleton. But in 2014, when Bonas saw Wills and Kate on a press tour with their young son Prince George, she freaked out.

It was not the family life she saw for herself, and despite Harry’s pleas to rethink her decision, she ended the relationship.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

30. His Worst Nightmare Came Back to Haunt Him

One can only imagine the grief and fear that Prince Harry felt after learning about the dark details of his mother’s passing in a car accident. Sadly, he’d have to relive that horrifying day just five years later in 2002. Just before Christmas, Harry’s life was again struck by tragedy when his friend Henry van Straubenzee was killed in a car accident, just as Harry’s mother had been.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

31. He’s a True Friend

Prince Harry was devastated by the loss of his close friend, and the horrific manner in which van Straubenzee had passed. In the aftermath of the accident, he was a great support to the boy’s parents, and made a heartbreaking tribute to his friend when he became the patron of a charity set up in van Straubenzee’s honor.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

32. He Was Almost Sent to Iraq

After entering Sandhurst in 2005, Prince Harry finished his training in just under a year and then quickly began to rise through the ranks there in his regiment. He then joined the Household Cavalry, but when it was time to deploy, followers of the royals were shocked. Harry was being sent to Iraq, in the middle of a war.

Prince Harry Facts Air Force Space Command

33. He Was a Threat to Others

Immediately, there was a public outcry. It wasn’t necessarily that Prince Harry himself was being sent—it was that he was such a high-profile figure—as in, target—that many worried he’d draw attention to his unit, thereby putting his fellow soldiers in grave danger. The British Army gave in to public pressure and withdrew the plans for his deployment.

Prince Harry Facts Wikipedia

34. He Was Furious About Not Going to Iraq

Prince Harry’s reaction to the news was truly chilling. He was livid, saying he wouldn’t have joined the army if he couldn’t serve in a combat role. Despite the trouble that publicity had brought to that situation, there was still fanfare when Harry was sent to Canada the next year, to presumably prepare for deployment in Afghanistan, where Canadian and British forces were engaged.

Prince Harry Facts

35. He’s Had a Number of Different Names

Obviously “Prince Harry” is not a particularly useful name on the battlefield. Harry’s nom de guerre is Captain Harry Wales, and he uses it whenever acting in a military capacity. “Captain Wales” isn’t Harry’s only pseudonym. In addition to his various titles, Harry used the name “Spike Wells” for his private Facebook account, which has since been deactivated.

Prince Harry FactsFlickr,UK in Italy

36. He Went to War

While his rejection from combat in Iraq disappointed Harry, he still found a way to join the army overseas. Violating a blackout order, the German magazine Bild and the Australian magazine New Idea reported in 2007 that Harry was serving in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defence was forced to concede that Harry had already been there for 10 weeks.

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37. He’s Got a Funny Side

While serving with the military, Harry would try and boost morale by visiting wounded soldiers. They were amazed by his relatability and humor. One soldier who had been in a coma woke to find a note that read, “For God's sake, mate. Came to see you and what were you doing? You were kipping.”—Of course, that’s British slang for napping.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

38. He’s an Excellent Pilot

While preparing for his tour in Afghanistan, Harry began training to pilot military helicopters for the Army Air Corps. His instructors called him “an instinctive flyer,” and awarded him a trophy as best copilot gunner.

Prince Harry Facts Wikipedia

39. He’s Been to Every Corner of the World

In 2011, Prince Harry attempted to hike to the North Pole with a group of wounded veterans as part of the Walking with the Wounded Project. Unfortunately, he had an urgent matter to attend to that made him leave the expedition before they were able to reach the pole: he had to be back in time for his brother’s wedding.

However, he got a second chance and turned the adventure upside-down in 2013. He joined up with veterans again to reach the South Pole. This time, he completed the trek.

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40. He’s Got Interesting Tastes

Prince Harry loves ice cream. How much does he love ice cream, you ask? Well, he brought an ice cream cake with him to share on one of his charity endeavors. To the North Pole. Just the place where people want to eat frozen treats!

Prince Harry FactsPixabay

41. He Didn’t Know Who to Trust

In the mid-2010s, it seemed like Prince Harry couldn’t sneeze without a tabloid or newspaper reporting on it. Soon enough, both Harry and Prince William began to suspect that there was a mole within their social group—someone spying on them and reporting back to the media. The real explanation was much more sinister.

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42. They Were Being Spied On

It was revealed in 2014 that reporters for News of the World had tapped both Harry and William’s cellphones. While the revelation was disturbing, both were relieved to learn that none of their friends had betrayed them.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

43. He Created His Own Competition

Just like his mother, Harry has been involved in a wide variety of charitable work. Perhaps the most significant example of this is Invictus Games, created and organized by Prince Harry beginning in 2014. The Games are an Olympic-style event for wounded soldiers. Featuring around 300 military athletes, the first Invictus Games were held at Olympic Park in London.

Subsequent Invictus Games have been held in the United States and Canada. Veterans from up to 17 nations have competed. The 2018 Invictus games will be held in Sydney, Australia.

Prince Harry Facts Wikimedia Commons

44. He’s a Gooner

In addition to rugby, Harry is also fond of polo, skiing, motocross, and soccer. And of course, when it comes to any British celebrity—or any British person at all, let’s be real—the question of what club he or she supports is always incredibly important. Prince Harry supports Arsenal, and can often be seen at Emirates Stadium on match day.

Prince Harry FactsFlickr,joshjdss

45. He Was in Grave Danger

When Harry returned from his first deployment in Afghanistan it was revealed that he’d actually fought against the Taliban while he was there. Harry is the first royal to serve in a war zone since his uncle Andrew, who served in the Falklands, where he famously lost the ability to sweat. But Harry’s journey didn’t end there.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

46. He’s Not Welcome With the Middletons

Until recently, Harry was incredibly close with his brother William and sister-in-law Kate—but behind closed doors, things weren’t so copacetic. It’s rumored that Kate Middleton’s parents find Harry’s down-to-earth nature “impolite.” Guess the charity work and military service isn’t good enough for them!

Kate Middleton FactsGetty Images

47. He Wants to Be the First Royal in Space

Following his return from Afghanistan, Prince Harry began flight training to learn how to pilot helicopters and quickly became an expert. It’s no wonder he took to it—and it’s not the only type of flight that he’s interested in. A huge Star Trek fan, Harry is eager to become the first royal in space and plans on winning a spot on one of Virgin’s sub-orbital flights.

Virgin GalacticWikimedia Commons

48. He Was the Subject of a Reality TV Show

A young prince has no shortage of female admirers, and American television network Fox took advantage of that fact in 2014 with the reality show I Wanna Marry “Harry.” 12 women competed for the affections of the prince, but there was a twist: it wasn’t Harry they were actually going for, it was an impersonator named Matthew Hicks.

The show was canceled after four barely-watched episodes. Of course, none of these women were as lucky as the next woman that Prince Harry got involved with…

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

49. His Second Deployment Was Scarier Than the First

After completing his flight training, Prince Harry was deployed to Afghanistan a second time, but soon after he got there, a terrifying and dangerous threat emerged. Within days of his arrival, a Taliban spokesman said that "We are using all our strength to get rid of him, either by killing or kidnapping”—but it got worse.

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50. The Threat Against Him Was Serious

The same spokesman said that commanders of the Taliban had been instructed to “do whatever they can to eliminate him.” The threat left not only Harry in grave danger, but the rest of his unit as well. Thankfully, the threats were mostly empty, and Harry returned after a 20-week tour in early 2013.

It was his time in Afghanistan that spurred Harry to start the Invictus Games in 2014.

Prince Harry Facts Wikimedia Commons

51. He’s an Animal Lover

When Prince Harry was just a young boy, he showed an early love for animals. He had a pet rabbit at the Royal Family’s country estate, where he could often be found tending to the sheep and Shetland ponies.

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52. His 30th Birthday Gifts Were Pretty Serious

In 2014, Prince Harry turned 30—and one of his gifts was a heartbreaking memento of his mother. Her will had stipulated that, when he turned 30, Harry would receive her famous wedding gown. Of course, that wasn’t all he got—there had also been a £12.9 million inheritance, which he finally received the bulk of that birthday.

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

53. Rumors Flew About His Love Life

Prince Harry had been single for what seemed like forever in royal gossip terms when rumors began to float around that he was seeing a new woman—and she was everything that the Queen wouldn’t approve of: American, an actress, and (gasp!) a divorcee.

Suits factsSuits, USA Network

54. The Couple Moved Fast

Finally, in November 2016, it was confirmed: Harry was dating Meghan Markle, best known for the TV show Suits. Soon after, they made their first official public appearance together at the 2017 Invictus Games, but there was more to come from the famous couple.

Meghan Markle factsGetty Images

55. They Were Fixed Up

Surprisingly enough, the two met in a pretty unconventional way for a prince and a big star—it was actually a blind date! Okay, an actual blind date is pretty much impossible when you’re both famous, but they were set up by a friend before they’d ever actually laid eyes on each IRL. Despite their high profiles, their first date was decidedly low-key: they met for drinks.

Announcement Of Prince Harry's Engagement To Meghan MarkleGetty Images

 

56. They Were a Secret at First

They managed to keep their relationship a secret for about four or five months, and Markle has said that she relished the time they had together to build their relationship in private—especially considering what happened to them later.

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57. She Wanted to Know Just One Thing

Markle revealed that she had just one question for the friend who suggested she go on a date with Harry before agreeing to the set-up: “Is he nice?” I’m guessing the answer was yes.

Prince Harry Facts Wikipedia

58. Their Third Date Was Intense

During their first date, they made a plan for the second, and it was on the second date that Prince Harry made a move that might scare away any other woman: he immediately invited her on a trip to Botswana with him. I guess when you’re a rich royal, a trip seems like an appropriate third date. Either way, she said yes.

Meghan Markle factsGetty Images

59. He’s a Romantic

After Prince Harry was asked when he knew that Markle was the one, his heartfelt answer was beautifully romantic. He said that he knew on their very first date.

Meghan Markle factsGetty Images

60. They Became a Target

Sadly, as soon as the media began to catch onto the fact that Harry had a new love in his life—and a celebrity, no less—they began to descend like vultures. Harry made a heartbreaking plea to the media.

Meghan Markle FactsWikimedia Commons

61. He Begged the Media to Stop

The scrutiny on the relationship and Markle, especially, had been so intense that in November 2016, Harry released a statement begging the press to stop the “wave of abuse and harassment” that Markle had been experiencing since news broke of their relationship. The urgency and informality of the statement made it feel deeply personal, and many began to wonder if the palace would approve of Harry’s straightforward plea.

Meghan Markle FactsShutterstock

62. He Fought Back

While many may remember Harry’s statement, few knew about the battle that he was waging behind the scenes. He revealed that he had also taken up a series of lengthy legal battles in order to compel the press to leave Markle alone and stop publishing derogatory stories about the couple.

Anna May Wong FactsShutterstock

66. He Got His Family’s Approval

Some of the rumors that spread about the couple were heartbreakingly dark. It was alleged that Prince William didn’t approve of his little brother’s new girlfriend. William has refuted that, and even the notoriously strident Queen Elizabeth has approved of Markle.

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63. He Gave His Brother a Precious Gift

When Prince William became engaged to Kate Middleton, he used his mother’s former engagement ring. Initially, Harry had inherited it, but the brothers agreed that whoever got engaged first would be able to use it.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

64. The Ring He Gave Her Has Special Meaning

Just because he gave away his mother’s engagement ring doesn’t mean that the ring he eventually proposed to Markle with didn’t have a special tie to his mother. The central diamond in the ring was from Botswana, where they traveled on their third date, and the two diamonds that flank it were from Princess Diana’s collection.

Meghan Markle factsGetty Images

65. The Wedding Was Touching

The wedding was scheduled for May 19, 2018 at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle—where Harry had been christened all those years before. As always, there were some heartbreaking sentimental nods to Princess Diana, including the forget-me-nots in Markle’s bouquet, picked out to commemorate his mother.

Meghan Markle FactsGetty Images

66. But It Had a Strange Guestlist

Many who have followed Prince Harry’s life throughout the years were shocked by not one, but two names on the guestlist: Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas. That’s right, both of Harry’s big exes were there to watch him tie the knot with Markle. Awkward!

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

67. He Has Three Royal Titles

Royals are usually given titles just preceding their weddings, and Prince Harry was given three on the morning of May 19 just before his wedding. His grandmother titled him Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. As his wife, Markle became the Duchess of Sussex—but all of that wouldn’t last for long.

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68. They Had Roomies (Kind of)

It turns out even royalty can’t escape sharing a flat. Harry and Markle’s first official residence was on the grounds of Kensington Palace, a space he shares with Prince William, Kate, and their children.

Prince Harry FactsWikimedia Commons

69. Their First Son Will Be Raised Differently

Less than a year after their marriage, Harry and Markle made an exciting announcement: they were expecting a child together. Finally, on May 6, 2019, their son was born. He was named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and Markle and Harry made a choice that some found controversial.

He could’ve been given one of his father’s titles and made an Earl, but they opted to raise him as a public citizen.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

70. He Couldn’t Take It Anymore

This was only the first of many controversial choices that Harry and Markle made in the wake of their first son’s birth. As a father, Harry was fiercely protective of his new family, and his public battles with the media and tabloids became even more serious. Finally, they reached a breaking point.

Meghan Markle FactsGetty Images

71. They Left It All Behind

In January 2020, Prince Harry and Markle made an announcement that they’d be stepping away from their royal duties in order to ensure their privacy and safety. While it was clear that they’d weren’t content with the way they were treated, it was a drastic choice—and the consequences were immediate.

Meghan Markle FactsShutterstock

72. They Forgot One Major Detail

It appeared that Prince Harry and Markle had forgotten to do one thing before announcing that they were leaving royal life—tell the queen. She and the rest of the royal family were blindsided by the announcement. The palace quickly released a statement in response saying that they accepted the decision, despite being disappointed in it, and that there would be a period of transition.

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73. He’s Not as Close With His Brother

Sadly, that wasn’t the only reason that Prince Harry was occupying the headlines. It was widely speculated on that there’d been a major falling out between Princes Harry and William, and an ITV documentary where Harry admitted that they were on different paths only made things worse—until the rumors about what was behind it all began to circulate.

Prince Harry FactsFlickr

74. Is It William’s Fault?

In 2019, disturbing rumors began to emerge about Prince William and his wife, and a couple they were friends with. It was alleged that William had an affair with a woman named Rose Hanbury who had often been spotted in their social circles, and that Middleton had blown up at both of them about it. So, what about Harry?

Princess Diana FactsGetty Images

75. There Are Dark Rumors About the Reason Why

Many speculated that the perceived falling out between Prince Harry and his brother was the result of William’s alleged infidelity—as a newlywed and a family man, Harry was said to be furious with William’s behavior, not to mention the damage that infidelity had done to their parents’ marriage.

While all parties had denied the affair or the falling out, it didn’t stop the media from speculating about the distance between the once-close brothers.

Kate Middleton FactsGetty Images

76. His Role in Diana's Funeral Was Heartbreaking

Amidst the royal family’s polarizing response to Diana’s death in 1997, it was William’s grandfather, Prince Philip, who convinced William and Harry to walk behind her coffin. When the young princes were apprehensive, Philip reportedly told his eldest grandson, “If you don’t walk, I think you’ll regret it later. If I walk, will you walk with me?”

At the funeral, Philip, William, Harry, Charles, and Diana’s brother followed the bier all the way from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, as millions watched.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

77. He Was Caught on Camera

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. Prince Harry learned that one the hard way in 2012. Photos from a trip that he took there with friends were leaked by another party-goer, and they were absolutely scandalous. The mystery photographer was able to take some secret cell phone pics that showed Harry and an unknown female friend completely nude after losing at a game of strip billiards.

Private Investigators FactsPrivate Investigators FactsShutterstock

78. The Photos Caused an Uproar

The scandalous photos caused a huge controversy in the UK—but not for the reason you’d think. TMZ was more than happy to publish them stateside, but no UK publication wanted to print them. Of course, any ol’ Englishman or woman could easily just google them by that point—but it gets even more strange.

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79. The Palace Made a Statement

There was even a vague threat from the palace that the Press Complaints Commission would hear about it if they came out. According to a statement released by the palace, Harry was a victim and his privacy had been invaded. Ultimately, it was all moot, as The Sun, the UK’s trashiest newspaper (well, definitely top five), published them a few days after TMZ had.

Prince Harry FactsShutterstock

80. There's Going to Be a Tell-All Book

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are notoriously private—but a forthcoming book will be dropping bombshells about their marriage. They actually worked with the book’s author to provide an unprecedented glimpse into their life together. Despite the fact that it's only coming out in August 2020, it's already on the bestseller list.

Prince Harry FactsGetty Images

Sources:  1234567891011, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28


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Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

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I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

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Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



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