As a member of the British royal family, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has been in the public eye since the moment he was born. From his childhood and the tragic loss of his beloved mother to his military career and role as a working royal, the highs and lows of his life have always been under intense scrutiny. However, in 2020, the duke and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, shocked the royal family - and indeed, the world - when they announced their decision to step back as working royals, moving across the pond to start a new life together with their children. In The Story of Harry, we take a look back on the key moments of his life and the experiences that have shaped the man he is today, as he forges ahead with his new chapter.
WELCOME
EARLY YEARS
CHARLES & DIANA THE BEGINNING • The love affair of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer enthralled millions as the world eagerly anticipated their engagement and subsequent idyllic wedding. However, the pressure and expectation surrounding the hesitant couple led to a rushed proposal and a marriage between two people who were ultimately ill-suited to one another. As Charles spent his time pining for another, an unprepared Diana found herself thrown into royal life, where she found herself in the calculating clutches of the paparazzi. Rather than a perfect romance, it was a sad disaster
HURRAH FOR HENRY • By the end of 1983, the royal marriage was on the rocks, and although both Charles and Diana had talked at length about wanting more children, it seemed entirely possible that Prince William might well remain an only child. However, at the start of the following year, the couple were surprised and delighted to discover that they were expecting another baby. Diana would later tell a friend that her second pregnancy marked the happiest time of her marriage, and brought the ill-matched royal couple closer together than ever before
THE HEIR & THE SPARE • The birth of Prince Harry completed the Wales family, and ensured the continuation of the direct line of royal succession by providing the traditional ‘spare’ as well as an heir. However, although Harry had been born into a life of pomp, centuries-old traditions and unimaginable privilege, Charles and Diana were keen for both him and William to enjoy as normal an upbringing as possible, making them princes for a changing, modern age while at the same time preparing them for the duties of public life
EARLY SCHOOL LIFE • Throughout history, ‘the heir’ and ‘the spare’ have often received two very different educational experiences. While the eldest was always raised to understand the weight of the constitutional duty that awaited them in the future, the younger was often allowed to indulge in a more liberal, traditional education that suited their interests, often with seemingly disastrous consequences if the second son is unexpectedly called to the throne. Prince Harry and his brother, however, were the first generation to be educated together in what is to be considered a relatively ‘normal’ school setting
THE END OF A FAIRYTALE • Charles and Diana’s marriage had been strained for over a decade, but matters reached a scandalous head when they separated in 1992 after a series of scurrilous headlines, Andrew Morton’s explosive biography of Diana, and the rumours of clandestine affairs on both sides. It was a difficult time for everyone close to them, but especially hard for Harry and his brother, who were both on the brink of adolescence and could no longer be shielded from the painful truth about their parents’ marriage
PASTIMES OF A YOUNG PRINCE • After the separation and divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Harry and his brother were ferried between their father at Highgrove House and their mother in London’s Kensington Palace, with Harry later admitting that he and...
