Prince Harry Biography
Early life & education;
The Duke of Sussex was born at 4.20pm on 15 September 1984 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington in central London, weighing 6lb 14oz. He is the younger brother to Prince William.
On 21 December 1984, Prince Henry Charles Albert David was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. His godparents are Prince Andrew (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); & Celia, Lady Vestey (née Knight).
His parents announced their second son's name would officially be Prince Henry Charles Albert David, but that he would be known as Harry to his family & friends. As the prince grew up, he was referred to by Kensington Palace, & therefore the Press and the public at large, as Prince Harry.
The Duke began his education at Mrs Mynors Nursery School in west London aged 3. In September 1989, he joined his brother Prince William at the pre-prep Wetherby School, also in west London, until he joined Ludgrove School in Berkshire in 1992.
His Royal Highness went on to Eton College from September 1998 where he took his GCSEs and A Levels. During his time at Eton, His Royal Highness was House Captain of Games & represented the school at rugby, cricket & polo, & was a member of the Combined Cadet Force. He left Eton in 2003 with A Level results that qualified him to fulfil his ambition to join the Army. But before doing so,The Duke spent a year travelling to Australia, Argentina & Africa, where he made a documentary about the plight of orphans in Lesotho.
Career in the Armed Forces;
The Duke of Sussex began his military career as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2005 & after successfully completing his training course, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry (Blues and Royals).
He went on to serve with the British Armed Forces for ten years, where he undertook two operational tours of Afghanistan, the first between 2007 & 2008 as a Forward Air Controller. Shortly after returning to the UK The Duke was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with The Household Cavalry.
The Duke of Sussex began training as an Army Air Corps Pilot in 2009. Following the completion of his Army Pilot's Course he was selected to train as an Apache Pilot and began the 18-month Apache training course, during which he was awarded the prize for best Co-Pilot Gunner. He became a fully operational Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot in February 2012. At the end of 2012, he undertook his second tour of duty to Afghanistan, this time as an Apache Pilot, returning at the beginning of 2013. In July 2013, he qualified as Apache Aircraft Commander.
In early 2014 The Duke completed his attachment to the Army Air Corps & transferred to a Staff Officer role in HQ London District, where he helped organise the inaugural Invictus Games in London – an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured & sick servicemen & women.
In March 2015, Kensington Palace announced that after a fulfilling military career, The Duke would leave the Armed Forces holding the rank of Captain. During his final weeks, he spent time seconded to the Australian Defence Force attached to various units in Darwin, Perth and Sydney to gain an appreciation of the Australian Army's domestic operating environment & capabilities.
As he left operational service in June 2015, The Duke of Sussex said: 'The experiences I have had over the last 10 years will stay with me for the rest of my life. For that I will always be hugely grateful.'
The Duke remains closely connected with the Armed Forces through his role as Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation. His Royal Highness is passionate about promoting the welfare of those who are serving or who have served their country in the Armed Forces.
Marriage;
On 8 November 2016, Kensington Palace confirmed that Harry was "a few months" into a relationship with American actress Meghan Markle, in a statement from the prince asking for the "abuse & harassment" of Markle & her family to end In September 2017, they made their first public appearance at an official royal engagement, the opening ceremonies of the Invictus Games in Toronto.
On 27 November 2017, both Clarence House & Kensington Palace announced that Harry & Markle were engaged. The engagement ring was made by Cleave & Company Ltd. & consists of three diamonds, two of which are from his mother's jewelry collection. The large central stone was sourced by Harry in Botswana, where the couple have spent time. In the couple's engagement interview, Meghan revealed they were having a quiet night at home, 'roasting chicken', when the Prince got down on one knee & proposed.
The engagement announcement prompted much comment about the possible social significance of Meghan Markle becoming a mixed-race royal. The couple married at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 19 May 2018. They now reside at Nottingham Cottage in London, in the grounds of Kensington Palace.
Royal Duties;
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The Duke & Duchess of Sussex combine a programme of charitable activity alongside his public service in support of The Queen, undertaking official engagements in the UK & overseas.
The Duke is Patron of a number of organisations & spends the majority of his charitable work focusing on the welfare of servicemen & women, championing developmental opportunities for hard to reach children & African conservation.
He co-founded the charity Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of their mothers (Sentebale means ‘Forget me not’) to support orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho. Alongside his brother & sister-in-law, he is also Patron of The Royal Foundation of The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge & Prince Harry.
In 2014, The Duke of Sussex created & helped organise the first Invictus Games in London. The Games are an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured & sick Servicemen & women. They use the power of sport to inspire recover, support rehabilitation & generate a wider understanding & respect of all those who serve their country. The inaugural Invictus Games held in London saw over 400 competitors from 13 nations compete in nine adaptive sports, & has since been hosted in Orlando, Florida with Games planned for 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Prince Harry's titles;
The Duke of Sussex's official titles are His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton & Baron Kilkeel.
He was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) by The Queen in June 2015.
This post is dedicated to my beautiful mother who lost her five month battle with cancer this day in 2014. I love you mum xxx
Further interest;
https://www.royalfoundation.com/
https://www.invictusgames2018.org/
http://sentebale.org/