Prince Harry says he never heard the words ‘therapy’ or ‘coaching’ in the royal family’s inner circle. But he has, he reveals, worked as a youth worker and given motivational talks for over a decade, and it was from a man who made him the youngest royal to have a formal role in the royal family’s senior staff that he met the Queen Mother.
Harry, who has since married American actress Meghan Markle, has been a guest-house resident at the Queen Mother’s residence at Sandringham since 2009, when he was four years old.
Harry and the Queen Mother attend a reception at the Queen Mother’s Sandringham home on Tuesday (Picture: Getty)
His relationship with the royal family has, like the Queen, become a closely guarded secret.
‘We have a private trust and respect and I wanted the family to know, if they’re interested, I understand,’ he told the Mirror in an exclusive interview.
‘But it is part of me, so I think it is part of the royal family’s interest to know.’
He said that his first meeting with the Queen Mother – who became the Queen Mother by marrying Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1953 – was the most formative experience in his adult life.
Harry and Meghan Markle on their honeymoon at an undisclosed destination (Picture: Getty)
‘I never realised I was in the inner circle until I got to know Queen Elizabeth,’ he added. ‘She’s a really warm, lovely lady who is so much fun to be with,’ he said.
Harry and the Queen Mother take breakfast together (Picture: Getty)
The star, who recently celebrated his 35th birthday, met Prince Charles and Prince William before he was whisked off to Sandringham after attending the Royal Military School in Norfolk.
He explained: ‘I was only four and it was a magical week there. Prince Harry’s really fun. He’s funny and a lot of fun and he’s a really good sport.’
In addition to Harry’s time at Sandringham, the royal family’s senior staff – including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Viceroy of India – have all attended sessions at an inner-