Celebrating Prince Harry’s Birthday: Reflecting on His Top 10 Quotes as the Duke of Sussex Marks 40 Years
Prince Harry has redefined his role in the world, unlike many other royals who lose popularity as they move down the line of succession. Over the years, Prince Harry has shared many candid, insightful, and relatable quotes. These quotes showcase how Prince Harry has become an unexpected force in the history of the Royal Family. In celebration of his 40th birthday, we have chosen ten of Prince’s most memorable quotes:
10) “Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping.”
This simple and light-hearted quote from the prince reflects his desire to do certain things that make him feel more ordinary. In his memoir, he discusses his frequent visits to retail stores.
9) “I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion and, if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps.”
For most of his life, Prince Harry has pondered what it means to be a “spare” for his brother, the heir apparent. He utilized this notion as the title for his jaw-dropping memoir in 2023.
8) “My mother took a huge part in showing me an ordinary life, including taking me and my brother to see homeless people. Thank goodness I’m not completely cut off from reality. People would be amazed by the ordinary life William and I live.”
Harry offered a unique perspective on Princess Diana’s influence on his life. Despite tragically losing his mother at the age of 12 in 1997, he cherished their time together and carried her teachings with him throughout his life, as recounted in an interview with Newsweek.
7) “She liked horses, quite a lot and… treated me not unlike a young stallion. Quick ride, after which she’d smacked my rump and sent me off to graze. Among the many things about it that were wrong: It happened in a grassy field behind a busy pub.”
When Prince Harry shared details of his first encounter at the age of sixteen, royal fans were both excited and shocked. It became one of the most memorable chapters of his memoir Spare; bold and humorous. It’s no wonder this quote generated significant media attention upon its release.
6) “I wanted to hug her, though of course I didn’t… I never had done and couldn’t imagine any circumstance under which such an act might be sanctioned.”
In his book Spare, Prince Harry described the odd sensation of knowing his grandmother was such a significant historical figure, even though they never actually hugged. Despite this, they always appeared to have a strong bond.
5) “So, my number: Twenty-five. It wasn’t a number that gave me any satisfaction. But neither was it a number that made me feel ashamed.”
His book Spare and this particular phrase sparked global controversy. Many were taken aback by the prince’s words, which shed light on the enemies he had encountered. His portrayal of enemies as “chess pieces” received harsh criticism from prominent Taliban members and military veterans, making it one of the most contentious claims in his provocative book.
4) “I intuitively know what my mother would like me to do and want to progress with work she couldn’t complete.”
As he grew older, Prince Harry began to idolize his mother. In 2006, he co-founded the charity organization Sentebale with the Prince of Lesotho to assist HIV-positive children in Lesotho. Diana was deeply passionate about her humanitarian work, and the word Sentebale (forget me not) pays tribute to her.
3) “You’ve got to have fun in life. Otherwise, wow – imagine life without fun.”
Harry doesn’t shy away from enjoying life, beyond his humanitarian efforts and military service. Whether it’s the adventures in Las Vegas that made global headlines or his frequent presence at parties in London, Harry believes in having fun.
2) “She was the villain, she was a third person in the marriage… and needed to rehabilitate her image. The need for her to rehabilitate her image… that made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press.”
In a bold statement during an interview with Andrew Cooper, Prince Harry expressed his unfiltered views on Camilla, his stepmother, marking a significant shift in their relationship.
1) “My mother was chased to her death while she was in a relationship with someone who wasn’t white, and now look what’s happened. You wanna talk about history repeating itself, they’re not gonna stop until she dies.”
In a powerful statement to Oprah Winfrey on the program The Me You Can’t See, Prince Harry drew parallels between the treatment of his mother by the paparazzi due to her relationship with Dodi Al-Fayed and the media’s scrutiny of his marriage to Meghan, a Black woman.
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