Harry was born at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, on 15 September 1984 at 4.20 pm. He weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces (3.12 kg). He was baptised on 21 December 1984 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie. His godparents are the Duke of York (his paternal uncle), Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones(his paternal cousin once removed), Carolyn Bartholomew (née Pride), Bryan Organ, Gerald Ward (former officer in the Household Cavalry) and Celia, Lady Vestey.
Diana wanted Harry and William to have a broader range of experiences than previous royal children and took them to venues that ranged from Disney World and McDonald's to AIDS clinics and shelters for the homeless. Harry began to accompany his parents on official visits at an early age; his first overseas royal tour was with his parents to Italy in 1985.
Harry's parents divorced in 1996, and his mother died following a car accident in Paristhe following year. Harry and William were staying with their father at Balmoral at the time, and the Prince of Wales told his sons about their mother's death. At his mother's funeral, Harry, then 12, accompanied his father, brother, paternal grandfather, and maternal uncle, Earl Spencer, in walking behind the funeral cortège from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.
Diana wanted Harry and William to have a broader range of experiences than previous royal children and took them to venues that ranged from Disney World and McDonald's to AIDS clinics and shelters for the homeless. Harry began to accompany his parents on official visits at an early age; his first overseas royal tour was with his parents to Italy in 1985.
Harry's parents divorced in 1996, and his mother died following a car accident in Paristhe following year. Harry and William were staying with their father at Balmoral at the time, and the Prince of Wales told his sons about their mother's death. At his mother's funeral, Harry, then 12, accompanied his father, brother, paternal grandfather, and maternal uncle, Earl Spencer, in walking behind the funeral cortège from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey.
"Harry" in his youth.
Harry enjoys playing many sports, playing competitive polo, skiing, and motocross. He is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. Harry is also a keen Rugby Union fan and supported England's bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in under-age drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour.
In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Pakifriend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraphas "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive."
While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them -royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim of sexting in a private moment, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission Upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun Newspaper published the photographs.
Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third most popular member of the Royal Family, after William and the Queen.
There have been rumours that Harry is the son of James Hewitt, with whom his mother had an affair. In response, Hewitt and Diana's police bodyguard have stated that Harry was born before the affair began.
Harry earned a reputation in his youth for being rebellious, leading the tabloid press to label him a "wild child". He was seen at age 17 smoking cannabis and partaking in under-age drinking with his friends, clashing physically with paparazzi outside nightclubs, and was photographed at Highgrove House at a "Colonial and Native" themed costume party wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband. He later issued a public statement apologising for his behaviour.
In January 2009, the British tabloid, the News of the World, revealed a video made by Harry three years earlier in which he referred to a Pakistani fellow officer cadet as "our little Pakifriend" and called a soldier wearing a cloth on his head a "raghead". These terms were described by David Cameron as "unacceptable", and by The Daily Telegraphas "racist", with a British Muslim youth organisation calling Harry a "thug". Clarence House immediately issued an apology from Harry, who stated that no malice was intended in his remarks. Former British MP and Royal Marine, Rod Richards, said that such nicknames were common amongst military comrades, stating "in the Armed Forces people often used to call me Taffy. Others were called Yankie, Oz or Kiwi or whatever. I consider Paki as an abbreviation for Pakistani. I don't think on this occasion it was intended to be offensive."
While on holiday in Las Vegas in August 2012, Harry and an unknown young woman were photographed naked in a Wynn Las Vegas hotel room, reportedly during a game of strip billiards. The pictures were leaked by American celebrity website TMZ on 21 August 2012, and reported worldwide by mainstream media on 22 August 2012. The photographs were shown by the American media but British media were reluctant to publish them -royal aides suggested that Clarence House would contact the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) if the pictures were used by British publications. St James's Palace confirmed that Harry was in the photographs, saying that he was essentially a victim of sexting in a private moment, and contacted the Press Complaints Commission Upon hearing that a number of British newspapers were considering publishing the photographs. On 24 August 2012, The Sun Newspaper published the photographs.
Polls conducted in the United Kingdom in November 2012 showed Harry to be the third most popular member of the Royal Family, after William and the Queen.
There have been rumours that Harry is the son of James Hewitt, with whom his mother had an affair. In response, Hewitt and Diana's police bodyguard have stated that Harry was born before the affair began.
Harry talking to an opponent during a volleyball competition between American and British injured soldiers, 13 May 2013 .