Will and Harry Unlimited

...For September 2003

September 30, 2003 -

What they said about Harry in Australia

Toby Manhire
The Guardian

The cartoon in yesterday's Australian newspaper came complete with a slur-bubble. "I shimply musht be going home," uttered a crown- wearing, bottle-clutching, off-balance young man. Its title: "Harry Totter". Yet the same paper reported that he would not be going home after all. Despite reports that the 19-year-old might leave Australia because of excessive media attention, he seemed set to see out his three-month stay on a Queensland cattle property. But the damage had been done, said Peter McKay in the Daily Mail. "Whingeing about cameramen seeking to take his picture in cattle station townships is pathetic," he railed. "The hangers-on who do this on his behalf make us look silly, affected 'whingeing poms' ... As the grandson of Australia's head of state, it's Harry's duty to get to know locals other than [his] wealthy hosts ... If this means he's photographed at a rodeo, so be it."

McKay found an ally in the Daily Star's Vanessa Feltz. "Why shouldn't he stand up and take his tabloid punishment?" she demanded, meting out her own brand of that punishment. "If minor soap stars, third division footballers and former news readers ... have to deal with seeing their shenanigans plastered all over the papers, why the heck shouldn't Harry? What, apart from adding ballast at royal funerals, are the bit-part Windsors actually for?"

Mike O'Connor was more bothered by who was picking up the tab. "It's nothing personal, Harry old son, old Windsor sausage," said the Queensland Courier Mail columnist. "It's just that I fail to see why my fellow taxpayers and I should have to part with what is said to be $600,000 [Ł250,000] ... so you can slip out to the colonies and play jackaroo in your hols."

The standard defence for the expense - a boost for tourism - was "claptrap", added the Queensland Sunday Mail's Terry Sweetman. "That is little more than an insult to the get-up-and-go of all the independent young Britons who make their way to Australia every year and learn more about our country than this reserve-bench prince is ever likely to know."

There was some solace for the young prince in the Sydney Sunday Telegraph, at least. "The most human of the royals is here for a visit," enthused Libby Gore. "Chicks on the lookout for a toy boy, prepare!" To her mind, the prince had picked an apposite destination: "Harry's nudging maturity, full o' raging hormones and has a great chance to explore his own identity. Just like Australia. What a great place in life for anyone to be."

September 29, 2003 -

TV CREW TO FILM HARRY'S OZ TRIP

A FILM of Prince Harry's gap year in Australia is to be released. The teenage royal's trip to work on a cattle station has resulted in a media frenzy. Although the trip was initially meant to be private, Prince Charles is now considering granting permission for a ``friendly'' TV crew to visit the ranch. Harry is studying Outback farming at a farm 370 miles west of Brisbane owned by Annie Hill, a former flat-mate of his late mother Diana. It was initially rumoured that Harry was unhappy with the early media attention, claiming it meant he was unable to get on with his training.

A spokeswoman for Prince Charles insisted: "Things have settled down. Harry appears to be fine now. He's absolutely fine, he's getting on with it and enjoying himself. We increasingly hope he'll be staying to get the Outback experience he wanted."

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said: "He is here to get some world experience and I think we should give him a bit of breathing space."

September 28, 2003 -

How Harry can win in Oz

The prince must shun the embarrassing old Windsor ways and travel
his own road towards a relevant royalty

by Patrick Jephson
The monarchy in Australia is a delicate relic, preserved through
lack of a coherent alternative as much as through loyalty to the
crown. Its fragility is being further tested in the current media
cyclone. Prince Harry's fresh-faced arrival in his grandmother's
realm Down Under has certainly subjected the subject to some
unwelcome attention from the local subjects, as it were.
Whether he leaves the royal link strengthened or weakened after his
gap year visit will be something about which you can be sure
Buckingham Palace is on genteel tenterhooks. His big brother may
have taken the photogenic Chilean bog-scrubbing option but, by
choosing Australia, Harry is sticking his brush into the murky
waters of Commonwealth relations which still rate very big in
Elizabeth II's world view. Will he leave a nice smell behind when he
and his entourage fly home to Betty Britain?

In some noses at least, the answer is almost certainly yes. The
stalwarts of the Vicky League and the Anzacs will take comfort from
this rare expression of royal interest, especially given Prince
Charles's known preference for Sienna over Sydney. Unlike us,
Australians have had a serious debate about the monarchy and both
pro and anti have earned respect for their views in a way that
shames our reflex polarized attitudes to the issue. Many of us
watched their referendum with envy. There is something undeniably
moving in the humility of the crown symbolically submitting itself
for approval.

Prince Harry's official photo call - with a worried-looking spiny
anteater - symbolizes the delicacy of his mission. Australian
monarchists must be as apprehensive as the porcupine (sorry,
echidna). The antis - those that affect to notice - wrinkle their
noses and ask who's paying for the police. The conspicuous failure
of the current press arrangements is unlikely to temper their
republican instincts.

It's the same here. Will the rising generation of royalty end up
covered in quills and blood... and will the cost of the show - in
morals as much as money and embarrassment - be worth the pain?

We seem to be at another of those forks in the road about royalty.
Choose one road - it's the smoothest and slopes nicely downhill -
and we run into the worst bits of the circus that cursed both
William and Harry's parents, whatever Charles's attempts to rewrite
his own part in the story: toxic celebrity, posturing, indulgence
and finally farce or tragedy. Every time William is photographed leaving a nightclub with his toff
friends, every time Harry gets mobbed by Oz crumpet or demands to be
left alone to play polo, the institution they will inherit takes a
step down the smooth road to irrelevance.
Choose the other road - the narrow, rocky one - and royalty at least
has a chance to retain its self-respect.

The princes' mother, who had already finished her apprenticeship by
the time she was William's age, tried heroically to find her own
route along this difficult path. Significantly, that journey started
on her first visit to Australia with Charles and, defiantly, the
infant William. She was just 21 and the gesture of taking baby
William with her, despite pressure to leave him behind, told anyone
willing to see that here was a woman who took her duties as a mother
as seriously as her position as future Queen of Australia.

That ability to be both emotionally approachable and innately royal
touched a chord with sceptics who, even then, were unsure if they
wanted their existing monarch, let alone another. Watching her
triumphant progress, who could be surprised that her overshadowed
husband felt the royal landscape begin to shift beneath his feet?

I witnessed close up for eight years the ordeal Princess Diana
suffered in the marriage celebrated on that tour. What she endured
leaves plenty of road signs for her beloved boys to heed - or
ignore. A loyal echidna might mention a few of them to Harry...

1. 'Never complain.' You will have lots to complain about. Just ask
your father, who is an expert in this field. But you mustn't ever
ask for sympathy. That doesn't mean you won't get it but when it
comes it will be given by an affectionate and forgiving public
which, in the royal business, is what you want.

2. This used to be linked with 'Never explain'. That half of the old
Windsor motto finally died with the Peat report, a futile attempt to
explain what happened to a lot of royal gifts, among other things.
It's tough but you will have to be prepared to explain everything
you do, often to impertinent people who have no right to know. Like
MPs.

3. Work hard. Another tough one, especially given all opportunities
to play rather harder. Even more insidious is the temptation to
pretend to work hard. Your staff will always connive at presenting
you as a dutiful grafter - it makes them look better, too - but the
real trick that so few royal people seem to find is to know the
difference between activity and achievement. The Army may be a good
start, when you feel ready, but after such a traumatic adolescence
time spent getting emotionally sorted now will pay handsome
dividends later. And keep your options open: remember, hooray Guards
officers aren't everybody's cup of camomile.

4. Be especially wary of cod charity. Royal excess in the name of a
good cause is still royal excess, and will be resented long after
the cause is forgotten. Look no further than the smell beginning to
come from your father's North American Trust - accusations of 'cash
for access' don't just apply to politicians any more.

5. Remember, your mother never hired a spin doctor. She made her own
decisions about public relations and kept responsibility for them.
Don't waste good Duchy of Cornwall money on people who promise you
easy media fixes. Your qualities will emerge in their own good time,
and your vices will still be your problem long after the spin doctor
has gone, taking your address book with him.

6. Beware the toadies and the toys that come with being royal. The
greatest gift a prince could wish for is a wise friend who tells him
things he doesn't want to hear. You'll never be short of people to
tell you what you do want to hear, or to lend you their jet, their
yacht, villa or even wife. As you may have noticed.

If all this sounds like a lot of sacrifice, that's because it is.
There are still compensations for being born into the ruling family,
and fun is still permissible. But without a bit of visible sacrifice
you're just another spoilt toff. And, like it or not, you and your
brother are now the only hope the monarchy has, in Australia or
anywhere else. So, cobber, as they say... no pressure.
Rodeo crowd want to rope in a royal
JESSICA LAWRENCE

IF anybody out Mitchell way didn't already have an opinion about
Prince Harry being in the neighbourhood, then his rumoured departure
fixed all that. The younger son of the late Princess Diana was the favourite topic
yesterday as people packed the small south-western Queensland town
for its rodeo, the premier annual event.
Since his arrival, both locals and visitors have been hoping to
catch a glimpse of the Prince at the rodeo.
But suggestions that he might leave the area because of an over-
enthusiastic media brought wide-ranging responses from locals.

Commenting on his possible early departure, Des Lent, 46,
said: "What a sook.

"William would have fared far better out here than his little
brother because I think he is a bit more settled."

Fellow-local George Christian, 59, said he wasn't concerned that
Prince Harry appeared to have left the district.

"I've got a picture of the Duke of Edinburgh on my wall and I've met
Harry's father the Prince of Wales, who is a darn fine chap, but
Harry sounds like he might be a bit of a wimpy Pom.

"But I really don't think we were going to see him, anyway."

Newsagent Bernadette Brennan, 29, said: "We'll have a good time at
the rodeo with or without him but most people would have liked him
to come."

There was a sea of ringers' hats, dust and flies at the rodeo but
not a prince to be seen.

Keeping one eye on the crowd and another on the cowboys, the hot
topic of gossip was: "Will he appear or won't he?"

There were even a few cases of mistaken identity from anxious
cowgirls and cowboys, mums and dads, keen to spot Prince Harry.
Despite the heat, hundreds of people packed the showgrounds to watch
some real Queensland cowboys in action.
Though some locals saw Prince Harry herding cattle on horseback on
Thursday, he has remained elusive.

One woman, who didn't wish to be named said: "We were going to the
garden show . . . when we came across one of the security guards who
warned us they were moving cattle across the road.

"Then we saw Harry riding a brown horse, wearing his brand new work
shirt and his Akubra. There were about five other people on horses
behind him but be looked like he was enjoying himself."

Former station hand at Tooloombilla homestead, and former head of
the property's rodeo board, Bill Anderson, said Harry still could
visit any of several other rodeos to be held in the shire over the
next few weeks.

"Locals round here don't like to make a fuss but it will be great to
catch a glimpse of him walking down the street," he said.

He said Prince Harry's day as a Tooloombilla jackaroo would start at
6.30am with "a hearty breakfast of steak and gravy or bacon and eggs
before heading out with his lunch and smoko in his saddlebag".

Work would include herding cattle, helping wean calves and mending
fences. Lunch usually would be around a waterhole, then the cattle
would be herded back to the homestead.
And Country Women's Association rep Marian Harrison, 56, said the
key to being a good jackaroo was to "read" the cattle.

"Harry will have a lot more success at mustering if he is always
trying to read what the cattle will do next," she said.

"We still hope to actually see him walking down the street. We'll just let him be himself."
HARRY'S WARNING: WE'LL BOYCOTT OZ

Harassed Harry warns snooping cameramen
By David Rowe

PRINCE Harry and his brother William will boycott Australia forever
if he is forced to quit the country by a frenzied media.
The 19-year-old prince, who had planned to spend three months in the
country, has been besieged by Aussie photographers since arriving on
Tuesday on a gap-year trip.
The harassment as he learns how to be a Ł100-a-week "jackaroo" ranch
hand at Queensland's remote Tooloombilla Station, has led Harry to
threaten never to return, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.

Reports that the Prince left the 39,500-acre cattle ranch under
police escort were last night denied, but sources are furious he has
not been left alone.

A royal spokesman said: "He's there. He's still at the ranch and he
never left."

He added: "If Harry is driven out he won't come back and William is
likely to follow suit. They both feel that strongly about intrusion. Some were moaning about the cost of security. Well, the cost is going up now because of the harassment."

And ex-Army officer Mark Dyer - Harry's minder in Australia
said: "Harry is very upset with his treatment. He feels very let
down by the Australian media."

Harry is under 24-hour guard from 12 royal protection officers,
local police and special forces soldiers - but their resources are
being stretched by the media.

Sources added: "It's not the general public. People have been
charming to him since he arrived. It is the media. He is very upset.
Plans are being discussed to rearrange his year, with South America
and Africa are already being talked about as possible destinations."

Harry has been driven to stay indoors after photographers prowled
fences and flew overhead to get pictures. On Friday he was learning to brand cattle, but long-lens cameramen forced him to abandon the lesson. Harry is embarrassed for his hosts Noel and Annie Hill as the
helicopters and private planes disrupt their cattle-mustering. Annie
was his mum Princess Diana's friend. But Harry does not find all of Australia a turn-off. He has worried
his bodyguards by insisting on meeting the scantily-clad beauties who rushed to greet him.

One source said: "He told his minders he'd never seen more gorgeous
girls. He said they were 'top totty'. With a twinkle in his eye he
suggested they could slip away some time and go clubbing." That
caused panic as Harry is known for giving his minders the slip.

"The Aussies are only too aware of Harry's reputation as a bit of a
hell-raiser. They could see riots breaking out if he suddenly
appeared at a Sydney nightclub."
Harry threatens to return home
By Chris Taylor, Matthew Horan and Kay Dibben

PRINCE Harry has dramatically threatened to abandon his three-month
stint in Australia amid claims of media harassment. He has complained bitterly to personal assistant Mark Dyer after pictures of the Prince at Tooloombilla Station appeared around the world.
The Prince yesterday was moved to a secret location because
Buckingham Palace officials were concerned at the "serious breaches
of royal protocol".

"His security has been seriously compromised," Mr Dyer said, adding
that the Prince was "in pieces".

Harry was reported to have said: "I can't be a jackaroo, I can't go
out, I can't do anything, I can't go to the rodeo.

"I might as well go home."

Mr Dyer, a former Welsh Guards officer who also shepherded Harry's
brother William through his "gap year" between school and uni,
relayed Harry's comments to journalists at the station, about 700km
northwest of Brisbane.

He said the 19-year-old Prince was under guard in a secret location,
until "things cool down".

The royal outburst came amid a day of high drama that saw Harry's
retinue leave the station and catch a flight to New Zealand. Some reports yesterday said the Prince had fled the remote outback station under cover of darkness. Other reports from England said a fuming Prince Harry was holed up in a guesthouse on the cattle station. They said he was watching videos, determined not to give
photographers and television crews anything to shoot.

Interviewed at Brisbane airport, Mr Dyer would not confirm where the
Prince was but said Harry's security had been beefed up after what
Buckingham Palace described as "serious breaches of royal protocol".

He said Harry's staff would wait over the next three days to see "if
the situation can sort itself out".

Royal officials, locals and even Premier Peter Beattie yesterday
urged the media to give Harry some breathing space.

"What I'm saying is give the young bloke a go," Mr Beattie said.

"He's a young man who needs to be given that bit of space and I'd
urge everyone to give him that."

Mr Dyer said he was disgusted with the treatment Harry had received
since arriving in Australia early this week. The final straw came on Thursday when the Prince was photographed branding his first cow. Mr Dyer said news reports on the supposedly secret farm stay had
prompted Buckingham Palace to increase his security. He was livid that the $600,000 cost of keeping the Prince in Australia had become the focus of his trip.

"This is a young man who was born to it, who is not comfortable
being on display," Mr Dyer said.

"He does not like having to stand in front of the cameras like David
Beckham.

"His security has been seriously compromised. All we are asking is let him have his privacy, let's see what
happens. Let him spend his gap year and let him have a true experience of
what it is to be a jackaroo."

The implications of Prince Harry possibly abandoning his trip to
Australia before he joins the military have made some royal
officials nervous.

One royal insider in London said: "I hope they know what they are
doing. If Harry walks out he could be tagged a quitter, just as Prince
Edward has been for walking out on the Royal Marines all those years
ago. He should stick it out."

Prince Harry arrived at Tooloombilla on Wednesday after a brief
public appearance at Sydney's Taronga Zoo the day before.
The cattle station, west of Injune, is owned by Noel and Annie Hill,
who are friends of his parents. Mr Hill, son of Australian polo
legend Sinclair Hill, is a friend of Prince Charles through the
game, while Mrs Hill shared a flat with Princess Diana before her
marriage.

Harry was being paid $240 a week - the standard wage for a jackaroo -
for what was expected to be a two to three-week stint.

Mr Hill said he was frustrated that Harry could not work properly
because of the risk of him being photographed - despite only one
section of the property being accessible to the two photographers
trying for pictures.

"I had to pull him out of a cattle muster this morning because the
photographers were there," he said on Friday night.

Mr Hill said Harry had been given the job of cleaning out the dozer
bucket on a tractor. "That's not a very good job, is it?" he said.

Mrs Hill, whom Harry calls Auntie Annie, said: "He's only 19. Don't
you think it's wrong that a young man can't go out and enjoy
himself?"

Until Friday, Harry had intended to visit the Mitchell Rodeo but the trip was cancelled over fears of a media scrum.

Teams from the two British newspapers following Harry, The Sun and the Daily Express, were ordered by their head office to leave after Buckingham Palace made a formal complaint to Britain's Press Council.

September 27, 2003 -

Prince Harry 'never left ranch'

Prince Harry was continuing his stay at an Australian cattle station
as Clarence House dismissed reports that he had been escorted away
by police because of intense media interest in his visit.

Clarence House in London confirmed that the 19-year-old Prince was
staying put after it was reported from Australia that he left the
39,500-acre Tooloombilla Station in Queensland state in a police
convoy.

A spokeswoman for Harry said today: "He's there. He's still at the
ranch and he never left. He's absolutely fine, he's getting on with it and enjoying himself. We increasingly hope he'll be staying to get the outback experience he wanted. We do hope the media will give him the space to enjoy his time there. He wants to learn about agriculture in the outback."

Harry is due to spend three months in the country learning to be a
jackaroo - an Australian cowboy - as part of his gap year. The ranch is owned by the late Diana, Princess of Wales's long-time friend Annie Hill, and her husband Noel, the son of millionaire polo star Sinclair Hill, who has coached the Prince of Wales.

The Australian Associated Press had reported an unidentified source
as saying that Prince Harry had left the ranch.
Tips fit for a right royal prince on crocs, blueys and the shout
And don't forget that sunscreen, Hazza. Olive oil always does the trick,
says Richard Glover.
The Australian Republican Movement has prepared some tips on local customs
and etiquette for Prince Harry as he begins his Australian trip. We publish
it here in the public interest, as proof of just how low these republicans
will go.
Australians love getting help with their accent, especially from someone
like you, Harry, who has heard the Queen's English first-hand. Stockmen and
jackaroos, in particular, will be grateful if you interrupt them
mid-sentence and explain how one speaks correctly.

Drinkers in outback bars suffer badly from the heat. One sign of
friendship is to approach the biggest bloke in the bar, pick up his beer,
and then pour the reviving fluid directly over his head. The gesture always
brings a huge reaction.

While in Queensland, be sure to play the local sport of crocodile-chasing.
A crocodile's tooth makes a great souvenir, and they're always happy to hold
still as you perform the extraction.

Just like back home, it's not what you know, it's who you know. When
getting into a Sydney taxi, always claim to be "a close friend of Mark
Latham" as this will get you very special service.

When drinking with friends you may be told: "It's your shout." This is a
polite way of suggesting you've had enough to drink, so you should instantly
leap up and run from the bar. Special lanes are provided for visiting
royals on all major roads. They are marked BUS lanes (British Use Solely),
and you should feel free to lean on your horn if you spot any other vehicles
trying to use them.

While you're here, why not try the sport of rugby league? To start, get
some advice on Sydney techniques from a good local expert, such as Manly's
John Hopoate.

Sydney may be the only city in the world to have an elevated sunbaking
platform. Called the monorail, feel free to pick a spot, spread out a towel
and lie down. After a while you may feel a sudden, and growing, vibration.
Relax. This is just the free back-massaging service.

When swimming at Bondi, a loud siren will sound from time to time and
everyone will rapidly leave the water. This is to allow visiting British
royals a chance to enjoy a swim unhindered by the stinking masses. Jump in
and enjoy!

People with red hair and freckles need special protection from the Aussie
sun. Most recommend a good covering of olive oil, followed by a full day on
the beach.

All visitors should try the famous echo in the concert hall of the Opera
House, and then have a go on the free slippery slide outside. Just remove
your shoes before you climb the sails.

Outback pubs often have only one dunny. If there's a queue, feel free to
point out that, at the very least, you're third in line for the throne.

Australians love ironic nicknames and may call you Bluey because of your
red hair. On the same principle, if you get caught in an altercation with a
very large and aggressive person, always call him "girlfriend", as he'll be
sure to appreciate the humour.

The Prime Minister is very proud of his children and their regular boating
holidays. If you meet him, be sure to ask to see the pictures of the
"children overboard". If he seems reluctant that's just his natural reserve.
Be sure to persist as he loves talking about the subject.

The bluebottles which litter Bondi beach make an attractive necklace.
Sling them around your neck, or that of any girl you are trying to impress.

Brown snakes can prove aggressive when confronted in the paddock. They
calm right down if you slip them down the front of your pants.

If you stay somewhere, it's traditional to leave a gift, and a parcel of
raw prawns makes a perfect offering. Just be sure to hide it somewhere in
your room, so your hosts will have all the fun of mounting a search.

Australians love being told where you went to school, especially if it was
somewhere posh like Eton. They'll be offended if you don't tell them within
the first few minutes. Also be sure to point out the aristocratic rank of
your grandmother, and then ask them about the social standing of theirs.

And, finally, Vegemite is a yummy dessert - much like chocolate mousse. It
should be eaten direct from the jar with a spoon.
Model's Kiss Thrills Wills

PRINCE William spent a night kissing and dancing with this blue-eyed beauty. The Prince, 21, spent several hours holding hands and smooching with 19-year-old Elouise Blair at an exclusive London nightspot. Clubbers said he danced wildly with the stunner on a podium — and dismissed warnings from his minders and brother Harry that he was getting carried away.

Elouise, one of Australia’s top models, revealed the encounter in a call to her mum Linda.
Linda told at her home near Perth, Western Australia, how William hand-picked her daughter to dance with him on the podium.

She said: “Elouise said he just came up to her and said, ‘Hi, I’m Will, would you like to dance’? “She said he was a sweet, normal guy. She really liked him.”

At one point, Mrs Blair said, Harry urged his brother to be more discreet. But she said William grabbed the London-based model’s hand and said: “Come on, let’s be even more public.”

Linda said 32-24-34 Elouise spent four hours talking with the prince about music and travel. But although they kissed each other goodbye, they did not swap numbers. William was with pals at Chelsea’s Purple nightclub to celebrate the start of 19-year-old Harry’s gap year Down Under. He is to spend three months as a cowboy in Queensland. But aides warned he may reconsider his stay if Aussie pressmen continue to besiege his farm.
Let Charles pay for Harry's protection
James Whitaker

I'M not a republican, although I'm not as big a supporter of our Royal Family as some believe. At times the behaviour of some - never HM - is crass. But I can understand the Aussies getting "agitato" about having to foot a massive "bill" for looking after Prince Harry while he swans around their country, learning to be a "jackeroo", playing polo and watching the Rugby World Cup.

Apart from fondling the ears of some cuddly animals at Sydney zoo, the 19-year-old will be carrying out minimal official duties until he returns for Christmas at Sandringham.

Talk about handing the "enemy" this sort of ammo. And yet that's the way things always have been. There is a worldwide reciprocal arrangement to protect visiting VIPs without charge.

Clear examples include Chelsea Clinton's time at Oxford University, Prince Charles being educated at Geelong Grammar school in Oz in the 1960s, Prince Andrew in Canada and Prince Edward in NZ. The protection of members of the Queen's family is inevitably a minefield. It's expensive, with the taxpayer copping the bill. We're talking tens of millions.

Naturally, nobody will ever discuss security.

However, just for information, it is not Special Branch who provide the necessary officers; nor do the SAS supply any "muscle", although their Hereford HQ is used for training the royals in the art of escape and survival. The men in the hot seats are members of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection squad, made up of officers from the Metropolitan Police.

As Harry is in Oz for fun, it seems sensible, even logical, that a large part of the security provided by the Australians should be reimbursed by - who else? - Prince Charles. This would set a tricky precedent. HRH never likes spending dosh when others will do so on his behalf. The young prince's PPOs (Personal Protection Officers) will, as usual, be supplied by the Met police and paid for by us in Britain, but the salaries of local rozzers will be funded by Aussie taxpayers. In the meantime, what of Harry? For me, he will always have more fun in life than his elder brother.

Mummy left him more dough than William (who will have huge income from, first, the Duchy of Cornwall and later, as Sovereign, from the Duchy of Lancaster), and he faces few down-sides.

The beginning of the visit Down Under started well enough, with Harry's aide and pal Mark Dwyer and his press secretary in attendance, but the loyal Coleen Harris will not be with the St James's Palace mob for much longer and I foresee problems building.

Harry is not particularly bright and he's a boozer and chancer to boot.

An amusing, good-looking one with a wicked sense of humour but, nevertheless, a person who likes taking risks. Most Aussies will enjoy the spectacle. They like a larrikin, while the local talent has already labelled Harry DDG (drop-dead gorgeous). What they don't want is to pay for any part of the jamboree.

September 26, 2003 -

Palace may act over Harry trip

Prince Harry is contemplating returning to the UK, just three days into his Australia trip, owing to media intrusion, according to reports. Royal officials are said to be closely monitoring the situation which is said to have got out of hand.
On Wednesday, Harry began work as a cattlehand on a cattle station owned in the Outback, owned by friends of his late mother Princess Diana. However, the ranch is under siege by the media and he is said to be spending most of his time inside to avoid photographers and reporters. He arrived in Australia on Tuesday for a three-month working holiday as part of his gap year ahead of a planned Army career. After a brief public appearance at Sydney's zoo, he flew to the Tooloombilla station, a 41,500 acres cattle breeding station owned by Annie Hill, a long-time friend of Princess Diana. Prince Charles's London home, Clarence House, has not released any details about where the 19-year-old is staying during the trip.

However, Warren Wilson, mayor of Booringa Shire which incorporates Tooloombilla, around 372 miles northwest of Brisbane in Queensland, said Harry had received a warm welcome.

"He'll experience a heatwave at the moment. It's been incredibly hot for this time of year," Mr Wilson told Australian radio. "He'll also witness first-hand the effects of the prolonged drought because Tooloombilla is not out of it by any means. It's very dry in that area," he added.
CAMERAS RUIN HARRY'S TRIP

Prince Harry may be forced to end his Australian gap year prematurely because of excessive media intrusion, St James's Palace warned. Royal aides have issued a plea to media in Australia asking them to leave him alone. A St James's Palace statement said it was "concerned and disappointed" that the prince was not being allowed to learn new trades while working on a farm in the outback.

Prince Charles's press secretary, Colleen Harris, said the 19-year-old wanted to enjoy his experience as a jackaroo, or cowboy, without the persistent attention of the world's media.

She said: "Learning about the farm and the jackaroo trade, that's what he wants to do, not dodge the cameras. In common with all other tours that he and his brother, William, have undertaken in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, we would ask the media to respect that privacy and to desist from seeking to photograph him."

He is spending three months working on a ranch in central Australia as part of his gap year after school. Prince Harry arrived in Sydney on Tuesday and after a photocall flew to Tooloombilla Station and headed for the farm.

A Palace spokeswoman said: "Prince Harry has not made a statement, but obviously we are concerned and disappointed that the media are not leaving him to learn about new trades in the outback."

September 25, 2003 -

Harry pleads to be left alone

Prince Harry is tired of dodging the world's media and wants to be left alone to learn about life on an Australian outback property.

Colleen Harris, press secretary to Harry's father Charles, the Prince of Wales, told AAP the 19-year-old prince did not want to spend his time in Australia trying to avoid the cameras.

"Learning about the farm and the jackaroo trade, that's what he wants to do, not dodge the cameras," she said.

In his only public appearance so far, Prince Harry was photographed by a posse of local and British media at Sydney's Taronga Zoo shortly after arriving in Australia on Tuesday. But Ms Harris issued a plea to the world's media to now leave Harry in peace at Tooloombilla, a 16,000 hectare cattle property west of Injune in outback Queensland.

"We are grateful to the media for making Prince Harry's arrival in
Australia and the subsequent photocall so successful," she said in a statement to AAP.

"As we made clear when he arrived, Harry is here on a private visit
to learn about the country and to learn new trades and disciplines."

Harry will work as a jackeroo on the Tooloombilla property for the next three months, but he will also take time out to play polo and attend the Rugby World Cup, starting next month. However, his priority is the cattle property where he will earn the very unprincely sum of $212.63 a week after tax as he learns to be a jackaroo.

"He can only do this if he is allowed to live peacefully and in privacy, away from the media spotlight. In common with all other tours that he and his brother William have undertaken in the UK and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, we would ask the media to respect that privacy and to desist from seeking to photograph him.

"We would be pleased if camera crews and photographers who are currently at Tooloombilla would withdraw accordingly."

Tooloombilla station is owned by Annie and Noel Hill. Mrs Hill is a long-time friend of Harry's late mother Princess Diana, while Mr Hill is a son of millionaire polo star Sinclair Hill, who has coached Harry's father Prince Charles. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie also called on the increasing horde of local and overseas media to leave Prince Harry alone.

"I would hope that everybody, and that includes the media, give him a bit of breathing space and respects his right to some degree of privacy," he said on Wednesday.

But tourism officials hope the royal visitor will boost the outback's profile with young British backpackers. Ms Harris said future picture opportunities with the Prince may be organised.

"We hope to arrange further photo opportunities during Harry's time here but we hope the media will now allow him to experience this country in peace and quiet," she said.

September 24, 2003 -

Heatwave greets Prince Harry

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Prince Harry has begun work as a cattlehand on a scorching hot outback Australian cattle station owned by friends of his late mother Princess Diana, local officials and media say.
Harry, the second son of heir to the throne Prince Charles, arrived in Australia on Tuesday for a three-month working holiday as part of a year off between school and a career in the army. After a brief public appearance at Sydney's zoo on Tuesday, Harry flew to the sprawling Tooloombilla station, a 16,600 hectares (41,500 acres) cattle breeding station, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph tabloid reported. Tooloombilla is owned by Annie Hill, a long-time friend of Princess Diana, and her husband Noel.

Clarence House, Charles's London headquarters, has not released any details about where 19-year-old Harry will stay during his Australia visit. But Warren Wilson, mayor of Booringa Shire which incorporates Tooloombilla, 600 km (372 miles) northwest of Brisbane in tropical Queensland state, said Harry received a warm welcome.
Wilson said Tooloombilla, which experienced temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, would be a good place for Harry to learn about the worst drought in 100 years which has gripped large parts of Australia.

"He'll experience a heatwave at the moment. It's been incredibly hot for this time of year," Wilson said.
"He'll also witness first-hand the effects of the prolonged drought because Tooloombilla is not out of it by any means. It's very dry in that area," he told Australia's ABC radio.

The Telegraph said Noel Hill is the son of Sinclair Hill, who taught Prince Charles and Australia's richest man Kerry Packer to play polo. A Clarence House spokeswoman has said Harry is also likely to play in a couple of private polo matches, as well as cheer England on at the Rugby World Cup which begins next month.
Australian republicans have complained that Australia will pay A$600,000 (245,000 pounds) towards providing security for the prince on what is essentially a private visit.
Harry takes on the Outback

No-one has actually seen Prince Harry but rumours of his arrival set the tiny outback Queensland community of Injune abuzz with media helicopters and gossip. The 19-year-old prince was on Tuesday reported to have flown to Tooloombilla, a 16,000 hectare cattle property west of Injune. Locals are keen to welcome the royal visitor if Prince Harry sets foot outside the property, where he is said to be under 24-hour surveillance by Queensland police and two British royal protection officers.
Glenda McPhee works behind the bar at the Injune Hotel.

"I hope to see him; I'd love to pour him a beer," Ms McPhee said.

Temperatures have been topping the 30-degree Celsius mark and the drought-affected countryside was hot and dusty - perfect weather for a cold beer, she said. Although no-one she knew had actually seen Prince Harry, Kerry Allen at the Injune Corner Store said the town, which has a population of around 450, was alive with talk of the royal visitor.

"It's given a small town something to talk about," she said.

But she had no idea Injune had a royal visitor until a television channel's helicopter flew overhead on Wednesday. Jeff Watson, chief executive of the Booringa Shire Council, was hoping Prince Harry may travel this Saturday to the local rodeo at Mitchell, about 100km south of Tooloombilla.

"If he really wants to see horses, bulls and dust, this is the place to do that," Mr Watson said.

Prince Harry will work as a jackeroo for the next three months, earning the very unprincely sum of $212.63 a week after tax. But he will also take time out to play polo and attend the Rugby World Cup, starting next month. Tooloombilla station is owned by Annie and Noel Hill. No-one was answering the phone at the property but when television reporters flew over the weatherboard homestead, a 4WD was parked on the air strip, preventing anyone from landing.

September 23, 2003 -

Prince Harry bears a joey at the zoo

PRINCE Harry looked every inch the professional royal today as he came face to face with wildlife at the only public engagement of his Australian visit. The 18-year-old prince smiled and posed for the cameras with a koala, echidna and joey at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. He appeared relaxed and confident during the carefully staged event.

He was presented with an Aussie bush hat, which at one stage he tried for size on the koala, gaining a round of applause from several hundred onlookers. He feigned a grimace and rung his hands after holding a spiny quilled echidna. He patted the joey and at one stage tried to give the koala instructions to look at the battery of cameras recording his every move.pe"He's not too sure about you lot," the prince joked with photographers. Prince Harry, who is in Australia for three months during his so- called gap year before starting military college, can expect to see many more Australian animals during his stay. He will be working as a jackaroo at unspecified cattle and sheep stations.

According to a spokeswoman for his father Prince Charles' office, Prince Harry will be "paid the going rate".

The spokeswoman said he was keen to learn about indigenous animals as well as agriculture and farming. He was keen to visit Australia because he had heard about it from his father. Prince Harry will return to Britain to spend Christmas at home. Wearing white slacks, blue open necked shirt and a grey blazer, the
prince chatted with the zoo staff and also took time to shake hands and talk to school children.

One of his female admirers yelled out to him: "We love you Harry and William, Diana, the lot."

Security appeared to be extremely low key. The prince's plain clothes minders were in evidence but the photo shoot was freely open to any members of the public who happened to wander by. Media and onlookers were not checked or vetted at any stage.

Harry gets a prickly reception

Prince Harry has arrived in Australia and sampled the Aussie wildlife. The 19-year-old Prince, with a reputation for partying, plans to work as a jackeroo, rounding up cattle and sheep Down Under. But first, at the start of a gap year, Harry posed for pictures at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. Politicians complaining at the cost of the Prince's security while in Australia had threatened a prickly reception. However, it was an echidna, named Spike, who gave him the needle. Harry held the prickly creature, grimaced and yelped: "It's pretty feisty."

There were also two-legged feisty creatures stalking the teenage Prince. Sisters Brooke and Jessica Brims, aged 17 and 15, gave him their telephone number and asked him for a kiss.

But Harry, often pictured in the company of pretty blondes, turned down the request.

"I can't really," he said apologetically, while remembering to keep hold of their phone number.

The girls' mother, Narelle, was on hand to act as chaperone. "I'm saving them for William and Harry," she said.

Accompanied by minder Mark Dyer, an ex-army officer, the Prince had just touched down at Sydney airport after the long flight from London's Heathrow. Fifty members of the media had gathered with two koalas, a baby kangaroo, Spike the echidna and 30 schoolchildren from Illawarra Sports High School, Wollongong.

Prince Harry Make Take A Second Gap Year

Prince Harry has been making some furry friends down under during the tour of Australia which kicks off his gap year. The young royal was greeted by an echidna and a wallaby as he started his three-month visit with a trip to Sydney's Taronga Zoo. And it seems the Prince may be taking an extra year off before beginning his training as a military officer at Sandhurst. The 19-year-old has sailed through the first stage of his assessment for the institution, but his father feels that he should wait a little longer before starting his career.

"Even next year he will still be quite young to start as a cadet officer and his father and others feel that he could benefit from broadening his experiences by taking an additional year off," said one of Prince Charles' senior aides.

There is also concern that he would be younger than most of the other recruits if he were to start in 2004. Sandhurst does accept cadets as young as 18, but most candidates are over 21 and the average age is 23. It has not yet been decided how the Prince might spend the extra year, though a "structured programme" of activities has been planned for the next 12 months. The teenager is expected to play polo for Young England in the Ambassador's Cup before going to work on a cattle ranch in the Outback. And he must also pass further tests before his place at Sandhurst is secured. He passed the initial one-day exam with flying colours, but the full Regular Commissions Board involves three days of tests scrutinising every facet of his personality.

The Royal threesome

Rupert Youngman

“They were wild, says girl who spent night with Wills and Harry.”

It’s a headline that every paper would love to splash on its front page, but only the Express actually does this morning. With our imaginations running wild with thoughts of a royal threesome, we read more about Prince Harry’s farewell bash at trendy London club Purple at the weekend. Student Sue Thompson, who sweet-talked her way into the party, recalled how William spent three hours dirty-dancing on a podium with a string of half-dressed girls.

“He was having a good time and flirting wildly, and a whole crowd of groupies followed him everywhere he went but I felt strangely sorry for him. He certainly wasn’t a great dancer – his long limbs flailing to the heavy music – but I’ve never seen anyone put so much energy into having a good time.”

Harry meanwhile had a bottle of beer constantly on the go and chainsmoked.

“He was great fun and up for a laugh,” says Sue. “He relentlessly took the mickey out of my Irish accent and was quite good at doing an impression of it.
Although I had only drunk two vodka Red Bulls, my legs suddenly felt all wobbly as the red-haired prince leant over and kissed me. I responded passionately as Harry’s hands expertly caressed my body. My very own Prince Charming! And then I felt a second pair of hands, even more regal than the first.”

“’He’s behind you,’ a voice whispered in my ear...”

Oh er, Jackie Collins would be proud.

THE JACKAROO PRINCE

Prince Harry has arrived in Australia to work as a jackeroo, rounding up cattle on horseback. For the next three months, the 19-year-old prince will toil as an Aussie cowboy on remote cattle stations in the outback. Although there will be time off to watch the Rugby World Cup and play polo, Harry will be expected to work dawn to dusk during the first phase of a gap year. The teenage Prince, who is third in line to the throne, flew into Sydney early this morning and agreed to pose for photographs at Taronga Park Zoo.

A Clarence House spokeswoman said: "From Sydney, the Prince will go on to spend time in the outback learning about farming and agriculture on various cattle stations where he will be mustering cattle on horseback and working as a jackeroo."

The start of his gap year comes just a day after royal officials revealed that Harry, who wants to be a career soldier, had passed his first army selection test with flying colours.
But, if he succeeds in gaining a place at the elite Sandhurst Military Academy, Harry may take a second gap year before signing up, as he may be considered too young for the gruelling officer training.
But the teenage royal with a reputation for late-night partying could first silence his critics by measuring up to the role of a jackeroo.
A part of Australian folklore and one of the outback's oldest trades, a jackeroo is an apprentice stockman who works long hours from sun-up to sundown for meagre pay, food and lodging.

Prince of the outback

TWO days ago he was in one of London's grandest palaces but today Prince Henry Charles Albert David, third in line to the throne, is in the middle of nowhere. A sprawling Queensland cattle property called Tooloombilla 150km northwest of Roma will be the prince's home for the next two months, The Daily Telegraph can reveal today. Prince Harry arrived at the 16,600ha property, co-owned by his mother Princess Diana's longtime friend "Aunty" Annie Hill, about 3pm yesterday on a private aircraft which flew from Sydney where he made his only public appearance, petting native animals at Taronga Zoo.
He was also presented with an Akubra hat, obligatory headwear for aspiring jackaroos. A tight security cordon has been thrown around the property, with the Prince under the 24-hour guard of a contingent of specialised Queensland Police and two royal protection officers. His accommodation will be a far cry from the palace he shares with his father and brother, built in 1827 for King William IV and used by every generation of English Royalty since.

Harry's Roma retreat
By PAULA DONEMAN and CATRIONA MATHEWSON

PRINCE Harry's new home for the next two months will be a remote outback cattle property a world away from the creature comforts of his London home.
Tooloombilla, 150km northwest of Roma and 625km west of Brisbane, is as outback as the you can get.
Prince Harry will be in the care of his mother Princess Diana's long-time friend "Aunty" Annie Hill, who co-owns the 16,600ha property with her husband Noel Hill. Mr Hill is the son of millionaire polo star, grazier and royal confidant Sinclair Hill, who coached Prince Charles on one of his visits to Australia. Prince Harry will use the property as a base while he stays in Queensland on a working holiday and for the World Rugby Cup.
The location of the Prince's holiday accommodation has been a closely guarded secret for months. A massive security operation is in place, with Prince Harry under guard by specialised Queensland Police and two British Royal Protection officers. The prince arrived at the property around 3pm yesterday on a private plane which flew from Sydney where he performed his only public appearance, petting native animals at Taronga Park Zoo. He was also presented with an Akubra hat, obligatory headwear for aspiring jackaroos.

This morning he will wake up in a simple room in one of several weatherboard cottages of typical Queensland design which form the main living quarters at Tooloombilla. The entire homestead was recently repainted, presumably in preparation for the royal guest. The vastness of the largely flat property 16,600ha property will ensure privacy – the eastern and western borders are 20km apart. Noel Hill bought the cattle breeding property from his father for $1 million in May, 2000. The elder Mr Hill is one of the world's best polo players. He was sent to the UK to play as a young man, forging connections with some of the world's most powerful people. He recently sold three cattle properties in southwest Queensland for a record $15.65 million. He has coached Prince Charles and Kerry Packer at polo, attended Charles' wedding to Princess Diana's wedding and is friends with Zsa Zsa Gabor. He currently lives with his second wife in Sydney.

When The Daily telegraph contacted Mr Hill yesterday he said: "I don't know anything about this."

The Prince's spokeswoman, Colleen Harris, said he would work at several stations, both in NSW and interstate: "He will be working as a jackaroo, mustering cattle on horseback and will be paid the going rate. Hopefully [the media] will leave him alone so he can get on with it and learn about farming and agriculture here in Australia, which he is very keen to do."

Prince Harry also plans to attend several matches at the Rugby World Cup, where he will support England, scheduled to play pool matches in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Australian Tourism Commission managing director Ken Boundy said the publicity surrounding the prince's visit would help Australia attract young British backpackers.

"The competition for the travelling dollar in this market is fierce and any additional coverage of our country helps to generate greater interest in travelling to Australia," Mr Boundy said.

The prince will return to England to spend Christmas with the rest of the royals. Tooloombilla and its royal guest will be spared the blistering temperatures to be experienced by the rest of the state over the next three days. As the prince arrived yesterday it was an almost pleasant 31 degrees.
Meantime, London's temperature was forecast to reach, perhaps, a maximum of 16 degrees.
Harry Hopes For A Year Out of the Spotlight

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Prince Harry arrives in Australia with royal aides praying for a spell away from the media spotlight that has often threatened to land him in trouble. Following his elder brother William's successful "gap year" in South America, the 19-year-old prince will hope that working as a cowboy on remote cattle stations will provide good public relations for the often besieged royal family.

He will also want to silence critics of a party lifestyle that some have compared to that of his great-aunt Princess Margaret, who died last year after decades of heavy drinking and smoking. Royal aides said Harry -- third in line to the British throne -- would take part in a "structured program" of activities, starting in Australia, but he has already flown into a row over who should pay for his security. (Royal row) Prominent republicans have attacked the spending by local police forces of an estimated $400,000 of Australian taxpayers' money on Harry's security. Foreign affairs spokesman for the opposition Labor Party Kevin Rudd, said the Australian government would have no problem paying if the prince does charity work, The Associated Press reported. But that situation could change if he attracts the kind of coverage he has in England, where despite an agreement by the tabloids not to intrude into the private lives of Harry and Prince William, he has often found himself on the front pages. Last year old-Etonian Harry -- the son of Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was alleged to have drunk alcohol in a pub while under the legal age of 18 and smoked cannabis. In Britain possession of the Class B controlled substance is punishable by up to five years in prison. Police said they had found no evidence for the claims although royal officials never denied the newspaper reports. Prince Harry later visited a rehabilitation clinic where he was warned about the dangers of drug abuse.

But the row appears not to have damaged Harry's relationship with his father, who he is said to be devoted to. Prince Charles has also encouraged both his sons to take an interest in their mother's charity work as well as their royal duties. The prince heard before leaving London that he had passed initial tests with flying colors to join the British Army but he has said he is keen to continue Diana's legacy. The sale of photos taken to mark his 18th birthday went to a charity working in the world's crisis zones. And in an official interview Harry said his mother, who died in a car crash in 1997, had "more guts than anybody" and had inspired him to carve a role for himself.

"The way she got close to people and went for the sort of charities and organizations that everybody else was scared to go near, such as land mines in the Third World .... She got involved in things that nobody had done before, AIDS, for example," he said.

September 22, 2003 -

Prince Harry lands in Sydney

PRINCE Harry touched down in Sydney at the start of a four-month holiday in Australia. NSW Police said he arrived at Kingsford Smith Airport shortly after 5am (AEST) on a British Airways flight from London via Singapore. The flight reportedly made two approaches to land, with one passenger saying it gave Prince Harry a nervous moment before touching down safely. The prince flew first class and was whisked out of sight of the waiting media. Michael Abbott, a UK businessman who sat across the aisle from the young royal during the flight, said he had a brief chat with Prince Harry, who gave little away about his plans while in Australia.

"He's a very friendly guy, he was chatting with the flight
attendants," Mr Abbott told reporters.

"He stayed up the whole night, reading, watching movies. He was
pretty relaxed and pretty happy to be down here."

The 19-year-old prince, third in line for the throne, will meet the press at Taronga Zoo later this morning. He is expected to spend at least some of his four-month jaunt taking in polo matches and Rugby World Cup games, where England are strong contenders.
Prince Harry passes Army assessment

Prince Harry has cleared the first hurdle towards enrolling at the elite Sandhurst Military Academy but could wait a further year before signing up for the Army. As the 19-year-old Prince heads for Australia at the start of what could now be a double gap year, royal officials said he had passed the Army's Pre-Regular Commissions Board assessment with flying colours. But if he passes the full selection board, Harry may decide not to start at Sandhurst until September 2005.

"Prince Harry has successfully passed his Pre-RCB with a Category 1
pass and is hoping to start training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the next two years," said Clarence House.

Most of the 700 recruits accepted for Sandhurst each year are graduates and therefore aged at least 21. It is thought Harry could be too young at 20 should he be selected for next year's intake and could benefit from delaying his entry. Prince Harry got a B in art and a D in geography in his A levels - reportedly the worst in his year at Eton. But he excelled as a leader of Eton's cadet corps and has evidently impressed the Army's top brass. Royal aides said the teenager would spend the first of a possible two years off on a "structured programme" of activities, starting inAustralia where he is due to land at Sydney airport tomorrow.

"We have worked out a programme for the Prince up to next summer,"
said a Clarence House spokeswoman. "But there are also thoughts about what he would do if he does an additional gap year."

The initial leg of his first gap year in Australia will allow Harry to indulge his twin passions for polo and rugby. As well as playing polo during his three-month stay Down Under, he will watch England and the other home countries bid to lift the Rugby World Cup which kicks off in Australia next month.

Details of his work programme are due to be announced by Clarence House tomorrow at an official royal photocall in Sydney.
Tourism to cash in on Harry's visit

Tourism Minister Joe Hockey has defended Prince Harry's visit Down Under, saying it was an ideal opportunity to promote Australian tourism overseas. Prince Harry arrives in Sydney today with Australian taxpayers paying $600,000 to help protect him on the "break" taken by about 10,000 other British school leavers every year. The cost of Australia's contribution to the 19-year-old's trip has been met with some anger, particularly as the trip is an unofficial one. But Mr Hockey said as one of the most high profile and valuable assets of the British people, Prince Harry would be a great ambassador for Australian tourism.

"We would have to spend five times that amount of money to get the same positive publicity for Australia in the United Kingdom," Mr Hockey told the Seven network's Sunrise program.

"We get 250,000 backpackers from Europe every year - if we can get a message out to them that one of the most high profile people in Britain wants to come to Australia, (it is a great opportunity)."

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said Labor would have no problem with the visit if the prince was going to do charity work during his visit.

"But if it is just a bit of a jaunt, I think maybe we should look
carefully at the cost-sharing arrangements with the British government on this, because it's a lot of money," he told the program. "At the end of the day it's the British Royal family, the Queen is the head of Australia, the Princes are not, and I think therefore we should be a bit more cautious about this." Prince Harry is due to arrive in Australia today.
Prince Harry Marks Start of Gap Year With Farewell Bash

Just prior to jetting off to Australia to begin his gap year, Prince Harry said goodbye to his brother Prince William and his closest pals with a bar-hopping jaunt in London.

The red-haired royal and his clique began at Chelsea's So Bar - owned by friend Mark Dyer - before heading to the trendy Purple nightclub. While Prince William was spotted leaving the hotspot at around 2.45am, it's unknown at what time little brother Harry called it a night.

Nineteen-year-old Prince Harry will arrive in Sydney on Monday to kick off his gap year, marking the start of his post-Eton life. Prince Charles' younger son will be spending three months down under, where he's expected to stay on a ranch, watch the rugby World Cup and show off his sporting side as he captains the Young England polo team at the Ambassador's Cup.

"The Prince is very much looking forward to it," said a spokesperson for the Prince of Wales. The private visit, which is Harry's first trip abroad without his father, will include just one official duty - a photo call in front of Sydney Harbour bridge this week.

September 21, 2003 -

Harry's laid-back holiday

PRINCE Harry's taxpayer-funded, two-month Australian holiday begins tomorrow when he lands in Sydney with a large entourage of friends and bodyguards. But don't expect to see the third in line to the British throne launching any cruise ships - no official engagements are planned. A royal family spokeswoman would only confirm the Prince, 19, was "very much looking forward" to seeing the Rugby World Cup and playing polo.

Prince Charles's private secretary, Sir Michael Peat, is reportedly angry that Harry will not meet the public.

"There has been a fallout," a royal aide said.

Harry is expected to be a guest of Swiss banker Urs Schwarzenbach, who owns the property Redbank at Harden in western New South Wales. Australian taxpayers will fund $600,000 of Harry's $1.45 million security bill.

"This is a waste of money," said Professor John Warhurst, chairman
of the Australian Republican Movement.
PRINCES IN FURY OVER DI BOOK 2
PRINCESS Diana's sons William and Harry are devastated over another Andrew Morton book revealing new secrets about their mother. It will also include fresh details on Charles's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. A royal insider said: "The Prince of Wales and his sons are shattered by this news." And a source added: "Morton delved pretty deeply last time so goodness knows what he's picked up now. There is bound to be more about how Diana felt betrayed. Charles is concerned that William and Harry will be subjected to more publicity. They don't deserve this torment."

Morton, 49, made Ł9million from his bombshell book Diana: Her True Story which exposed Di's miserable life with Charles in 1992.
Harry drugs den scandal

By Clive Goodman, Amanda Evans & James Millbank

PRINCE Harry is being taken to bars where cocaine is sold and widely used-and the man with him is a minder who is supposed to be steering him clear of drugs. Prince Charles will be enraged to learn that his son hangs out in cocaine-infested nightspots, which are OWNED by Mark Dyer who was chosen as a "mentor" to Harry after the teenage prince's pot-smoking confessions last year.

A News of the World investigation this week revealed cocaine is openly on sale and is being regularly used by customers...and even bar staff. On Friday night we spotted the prince, accompanied by Dyer, boozing for six hours in one bar where our undercover team had earlier bought cocaine.

Dyer, a 37-year-old ex-Welsh Guards officer, became 19-year-old Harry's private minder after organising big brother William's 21st birthday party and gap year in Peru. He also took William on safari in Africa and today is flying out with Harry to Australia where the prince will start his gap year before going to Sandhurst Military Academy. Dyer is also major shareholder, director and general manager of the So Bar chain, which has nightspots in London. We watched Harry, 19, as he spent a long Friday night in the Chelsea branch of So Bar-in the presence of customers who bought drugs from a dealer on the premises. Our investigators were sold some by a regular known as "Brickie".

"It's proper gear, no rubbish," he told us. "It's Ł70 for a gramme but you won't get better elsewhere."

We handed over Ł70 cash for the two wraps of cocaine, both wrapped in National Lottery Lotto slips. After arriving at about 5.30pm, the royal party chose a discreet alcove at the back of the room, just yards from where our investigators had been sold the cocaine. Dyer, Harry and a brunette sat drinking steadily for six hours. The prince-in jeans, a blue shirt and a trucker's cap-downed two potent Sex On The Beach cocktails, made of vodka and peach liqueur, while Dyer sipped a pint of Guinness. Police bodyguards sat at a nearby table. Soon Harry tucked into a dinner of lamb steaks and risotto, washed down with a bottle of red wine. Afterwards Harry and Dyer chilled out on a sofa. The prince lounged around texting on his mobile phone and chatting to revellers who made a bee-line for him.

One worse-for-wear blonde told us: "He's so charming and really nice. He told me he was going to Australia."

When the evening was over, Harry was driven back to Prince Charles's Clarence House home while Dyer drove himself to his nearby flat in Earl's Court. While Harry was in the bar, our investigators carried out tests on both gents' and ladies' toilets, finding fresh traces of cocaine in every cubicle. Users chop up their cocaine on the cisterns and lay it out in lines before snorting it through a rolled-up banknote.

Our investigators meticulously wiped cistern tops clean before returning an hour later to take samples from each one. The findings were examined by a forensic drugs analyst at a laboratory. Every swab from the loos tested positive for cocaine, as did the cocaine bought from the dealer in the bar. Last night a close friend of Prince Charles told how shocked he will be at our findings. "Harry has already had one dangerous brush with drugs because he was keeping bad company. Now the man who is supposed to keep him away from drugs is seen with him at a place where, whether he knows it or not, cocaine seems as common as Coca-Cola.

"Dyer has a very trusted position. He's part equerry, part big brother, and part guardian."

Last night shocked Dyer asked to see the News of the World's dossier on his staff and punters. And he told how he takes a tough line on drug dealers and drug users.

"It's difficult sometimes because bars get busy and these days 20- year-olds and 30-year-olds are quite into drugs. I don't know why. We discourage it massively. I'm very anti it personally. Lots of people are caught and barred for drugs. We take a strict line on it. If I ever found staff or a manager anywhere near it they'd be dismissed. We have a very strict policy on any form of drugs in all the bars. All the loos are checked by the management every hour." Our dossier is available to the police and Prince Charles.
Charles gets a Dyer warning

PRINCE HARRY starts his gap-year trip to Australia today after a recent history of pot smoking, a chastening visit to a rehab centre and dismal A-level results. Now more than ever he needs to stick to the straight and narrow. At his side will be former Army officer Mark Dyer, an unpaid aide Harry idolises so much he wants to follow him into the Welsh Guards.

But Prince Charles must ask himself today-is Dyer up to the job? Our investigation into his string of bars shows that hard drugs are rife in them. Nevertheless, Dyer seems happy to take the vulnerable and impressionable Harry into that environment. Isn't it time Charles stopped trusting his troubled son to aides, bodyguards and hangers-on-and did the job himself?
1.5M BILL FOR WILLS' SAFETY

PRINCE William's new home is set to push the bill for protecting him at his Scottish university through the Ł1.5million mark. The prince is looked after by royal protection officers and hi-tech security gear. Now CCTV, bomb proofing, infrared sensors and a panic button are being fitted at the farmhouse he will share with friends for the last two years of his course at St Andrews uni. A Fife police source said: "It is more open so potentially more vulnerable. However, we don't expect it to be a big problem."

September 19, 2003 -

Prince Harry to visit in Australia

From correspondents in London

PRINCE Harry will arrive in Australia on Monday, Clarence House confirmed today. The younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana will arrive in Sydney for the start of his gap year - an English tradition of young people taking a year to travel between finishing school and starting university or work. Few details have been released of Harry's plans for his time in Australia, but he is expected to spend some time on a sheep farm, take part in a polo match and watch England play in the Rugby World Cup.

September 14, 2003 -

COPS SNUB PLEA TO BE HARRY'S MINDERS IN OZ

By Alan Rimmer And David Rowe

IT'S the trip Prince Harry has been looking forward to ever since he left Eton - to get away from it all Down Under. Yet the Royal protection officers charged with the job of looking after him would rather spend a winter in the cold in Britain than join him in the Australian sunshine. The 12-strong elite squad have "gone on strike" over the arrangements to protect the Prince during his three-month trip. They are furious that cuts in the £600,000-a-year security budget to look after the Prince will mean they will have to travel "cattle class" in the tourist section on the 18-hour flight to Australia.

The SAS-trained squad are also seething about cuts in their expenses for meals and hotel accommodation. They argue it will be a hard enough job keeping an eye on a wayward Prince with a liking for girls, a good time and a drink while they're just sipping mineral water each night. And now following the cuts in their expenses they have expressed "extreme reluctance" at making the trip. Many have refused point-blank to go, claiming that long periods away from home - up to a month at a time - would disrupt family life. Scotland Yard and Palace security bosses are so concerned about putting a team together they have advertised the posts with a sister service, the diplomatic protection squad.

"They are usually responsible for looking after foreign bigwigs, but the situation has become so serious they have been asked to take up the slack." said a Palace source. Last week Prince Charles demanded that a closer eye than ever be kept on Harry.

Charles fears his son might "go off the rails" again as an inquest into his mother's death opens old wounds. And he is desperate not to see a repeat of the episode two years ago when Harry admitted he had smoked cannabis at a pub. Harry's travels on his gap year before he starts an expected career in the Army include spells working on tycoon Kerry Packer's polo ranch and on a sheep station.Plans by the prince to visits crowded areas like Bondi Beach, Sydney and the Rugby World Cup are also considered huge security headaches.

A Palace spokesman said last night: "I have not heard of any such complaints about this."

September 12, 2003 -

St Athan beckons for soldier prince

Prince Harry may start his career as a serving soldier in Wales if he chooses to join the Army. The smart money is on the young prince plumping for the Welsh Guards who have just moved from Aldershot to their new base at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan - the first time they have been based in Wales since they were formed in 1915. The 18-year-old Royal is thought to be applying to enter the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) to train as an Army officer following a gap year after leaving Eton. St James' Palace officials said no firm decision on the prince's future had been made yet, although they have confirmed that he wants to be a career soldier.

Reports have been carried in both the tabloid and broadsheet press that the Welsh Guards would be Prince Harry's choice, although a recent magazine article speculates the Grenadier Guards and the Household Cavalry as other possible considerations. At Eton he excelled in the school's Combined Cadet Force, earning the top rank of Cadet Officer purely on merit and not his position. At RMAS he will learn military and leadership skills an officer after which he would join one of the regiments or Army corps of his choice.

Any move he makes to Wales' own Household Regiment will cement the family relationship since his father, Prince Charles, is Colonel of the Regiment. The Welsh Guards were formed in 1915, by order of Prince Harry's great-great-grandfather King George V. The King wanted Wales to have its own Household Regiment similar to the Scots and Irish Guards. Prince Harry was awarded a B in Art and a D in Geography in his GCE A Levels, which are just sufficient for him to apply to enter Sandhurst as an officer cadet. However, he will not be guaranteed a place and will have to go through a gruelling interview, physical and mental testing to get the nod from the senior and experienced recruiters on the Regular Commissions Board. It is unlikely that Prince Harry would rise to a senior post, according to an Army source.

Top officers these days tend to be university educated and many, such as General Sir Michael Jackson, the Army's most senior general as Chief of the General Staff, are fluent linguists. If Prince Harry joined the Welsh Guards he would not only face ceremonial duties, but would also be involved in peacekeeping and other dangerous operations in places such as Kosovo and Northern Ireland. The regiment were among those which took heavy casualties during the 1982 Falklands War when the troop ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were bombed, killing 50 soldiers and injuring 150 more. While, the Welsh Guards would undoubtedly welcome Prince Harry of Wales (his full title) as one of their officers, there could be a possible rival from another regiment which recruits in Wales.

Harry is a noted polo player and joining the Welsh Cavalry, 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards, could be an attractive proposition for a horseman.

September 8, 2003 -

William, Harry for early cash-in
From The Sunday Times
September 8, 2003

THE royal inheritance due to princes William and Harry is to be unlocked four years early, enabling them to take the first step towards setting up their own courts. Later this year the princes are to receive a regular allowance from the estate of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, which has been estimated at £20 million ($49.2 million). Discussions have been held during the past six months between the estate and Clarence House, the official home and headquarters of the princes' father, Prince Charles, to thrash out the implications of giving the princes their first taste of financial independence.

The lifestyles of William, 21, and Harry, 18, have so far been supported almost entirely from the pocket of the Prince of Wales. However, Charles may not be entirely happy at the prospect of his sons having their own income. He has reportedly used his financial control in the past to refuse them high-powered motorbikes and sports cars. Sources said the estate's executors had decided to push their powers of discretion to the limit to help to fund the princes. One said: "The will entitles them to income from the estate only from the age of 25, and to the capital from 30. But their lives are becoming much more complex and they need the financial resources to deal with that.

"This will enable the princes to surround themselves with their own staff. In a modest way this will be the start of their own independent courts."

The princes have no plans to buy their own properties at present.

Although William fulfilled a number of public engagements to mark his 21st birthday last June, the palace is anxious to ensure that his acceptance of an allowance will not bounce him into public life sooner than he would wish. The princes are expected to receive a six-figure sum from Diana's estate, but until they reach 25 it will be well short of the total investment earnings of more than £500,000 a year that the estate generates. The exact value of Diana's legacy is being assessed by the executors. Although she left about £21 million, £8 million went in death duties. The estate is in discussion with the Inland Revenue about the tax bill for the 415 items that had been held by Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler, until his trial last autumn. A thawing in relations between Charles and the Spencer family has prompted the decision by the trustees to propose the payments. The estate is run by Diana's mother, Frances Shand Kydd, her sister, Sarah McCorquodale, and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.

September 5, 2003 -

Schoolboy sent prince 'ricin' letter

A schoolboy sparked off a UK-wide terror scare by sending a letter claiming to contain the deadly poison ricin to Prince William, a court has heard.

Paul Smith,17, also sent a bottle of complimentary aromatherapy oil face rub laced with caustic soda to Cherie Blair at 10 Downing Street. The High Court in Glasgow heard there was a massive security scare across Britain after a flood of letters, some also said to contain anthrax, landed on the desks various officials. Among those receiving packages were the Scottish Parliament, the House of Commons, various police forces and local authority offices, top hotels, and senior officials at St Andrew's University.

Kevin McCallum, prosecuting, told the judge, Lord Kingarth, of the fear and terror of some victims who breathed in powder which they thought was either anthrax or ricin. Scores of people had to be decontaminated and buildings evacuated.

The scheme was a hoax invented by a man, whose identity was not given in court, who sent the instructions via email to Smith, a pupil at Dumbarton Academy. One letter to Prince William said it contained ricin, the world's most deadly toxin, adding: "If you smell or touch it you will die."

Another one sent to the St Andrews University art and history department where the prince is studying contained a skull and crossbones with a message which read: "By the time you read this letter you will not be able to breath and will be suffering respiratory failure."

Mr McCallum told how terrified people who had come into contact with the letters were placed in isolation and underwent decontamination. The powders were found to be harmless, but in some cases people did not know this for days. Smith, of 18 High Mains Avenue, Dumbarton, admitted sending a total of eight anthrax letters and 36 ricin letters between August 20, 2001, and February 7, 2002 and committing a breach of the peace. He pleaded guilty to preparing and transmitting the letters whereby the powder inside was deposited and inhaled by people opening them, all to their fear and alarm. Smith also admitted sending two packages to Cherie Blair and Margaret Ashcroft, treasurer of the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Liberal Democrat constituency party in February last year.

Smith, who was only 16 at the time, was arrested after analysis of computer material revealed significant e-mail traffic between him and another person. He accepted he was recruited by an older person on the internet.

Mr McCallum said: "This person had instigated a campaign directed against His Royal Highness Prince William and his attendance at the Scottish university." Sentence was deferred for background reports.

September 2, 2003 -

Press promised greater access to prince

Prince Charles' private secretary has admitted St James's Palace has failed to provide the press with enough access to Prince William over the past two years, after the relationship between journalists and the palace threatened to break down. Sir Michael Peat has now promised to give the press information about Prince William at least once a term, in an effort to ease the unrest among tabloid papers over the lack of access to the heir to the throne. In a letter to Les Hinton, the chairman of the newspaper editors' code of practice committee, Sir Michael conceded that not enough material about the prince had been made available since October 2001.

"Steps have been taken to address this and I hope that I am right in thinking that the recent interviews and photographs were generally well received, it is our intention to ensure that information about Prince William is, from now on, made available at least once a term, to reflect the growing interest in Prince William in his own right."

Newspaper editors agreed not to publish paparazzi shots of Prince William during his time at St Andrews university in exchange for access to official photographs and stories. But the agreement threatened to break down earlier this year when the News of the World, frustrated by the lack of official access to the prince, published photographs of him returning from a trip to Tesco laden down with shopping. Prince Charles' aides complained about the story, but the following weekend the Mail on Sunday followed suit with pictures of the prince out walking with a female friend and a story implying the pair enjoyed a close relationship. There was also fierce criticism from the press about the way St James's Palace handled Prince William's 21st birthday interview in May. Tabloid editors reacted furiously after Daily Record editor Peter Cox claimed to have negotiated an exclusive interview, and Prince Charles' PR team was hastily forced to make it more widely available.

"There was a feeling that we had kept our side of the bargain but they had not kept theirs," said one royal correspondent. I think one of the real tests was when the pictures of the prince out shopping were published. That was a real wake-up call for the palace, and to their credit things have improved a lot in the past few months. We got the interview for Prince William's birthday and there has been a lot of access to Prince Harry this year."

Prince Charles' press secretary, Colleen Harris, said the promised access was more likely to consist of photo opportunities than a repeat of the interview the prince gave to mark his 21st birthday.

"It's simply a case of reverting back to the original arrangement we had," she said.

"After the News of the World published its pictures, it looked as though that agreement was in jeopardy. We had never before set out the amount of access that should be provided under that agreement so we now we have said it will be once a term," she added.

Mr Hinton, who is also executive chairman of News International, welcomed Sir Michael's proposal, saying Prince William was a "public figure in his own right for whom a total media blackout would be entirely inappropriate. I can confirm that the industry continues to accept the balance set out in September 2000. We will, of course, continue to respect the privacy of Prince William - as with any student or young person - under the terms of the [PCC] code," he wrote in a letter to Sir Michael.

"And we will continue to ensure that, as far as reasonably possible, a level of restraint is exercised which avoids the creation of a paparazzi market at St Andrews." Many royal correspondents are also concerned about who will replace Ms Harris as Prince Charles' press secretary when she leaves the job at the end of next month.

"That's a real concern. Colleen has been pretty good about making sure we are kept informed and it will be interesting to see who takes over from her," said one.