The story behind Prince Harry’s REAL name… and why he was only called it when he was ‘very, very naughty’

Prince Henry Charles Albert David was named by the Archbishop of Canterbury in December 1984. However, Prince Charles and Princess Diana decided early on that their son would be called Harry. Prince Charles mentioned that Henry was used only when Harry had been particularly mischievous, which was quite frequent.

As Harry celebrates his 40th birthday, it’s clear that his early years were marked by numerous incidents of mischief, many of which continued into his teenage and young adult years. Former police bodyguard Ken Wharfe often heard Diana scolding Harry with the firm command, “Henry, no!”

One notable incident occurred when Harry was almost four years old and he stuck his tongue out at photographers after meeting his newborn cousin, Princess Beatrice, in 1988. In another episode, while on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in 1990, Harry struck his brother with a snooker cue. He also once forged his nanny’s handwriting to trick the family’s chef into making pizza instead of roast chicken.

Harry’s behavior was frequently unconventional. At around five or six years old, he wandered out of Kensington Palace grounds and used a police radio to broadcast from Kensington High Street, claiming, “I’m outside Tower Records.” On his sixth birthday, he covered his two-year-old cousin Princess Beatrice’s mouth on the Buckingham Palace balcony during a royal event. His nanny even nicknamed him “Kamikaze Harry” due to his reckless antics.

At age eight, Harry locked himself in a train toilet, ignoring his mother’s calls to open the door. His penchant for mischief extended to practical jokes, such as using whoopee cushions and dismantling his parents’ hi-fi system at Highgrove, then watching their confusion when it failed to work.

Shortly after Harry’s birth, a spokesperson clarified that although he was formally christened Henry, he would be known as Harry, adhering to a long-standing royal tradition. Henry was the name of eight English kings, the last of whom was the notorious Henry VIII. Prince Charles’s great-uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, was another notable bearer of the name, who passed away in 1974.

Before Harry’s arrival, betting firms speculated that names like George and Philip were popular choices. According to biographer Mark Saunders, Harry was particularly fascinated by the story of King Henry II, who ordered the murder of Thomas à Becket, and he enjoyed Shakespeare’s portrayal of Henry V in his famous battle speech, “Cry, ‘God for Harry! England and St George!'”

As Harry grew older, his behavior evolved into more serious issues. At 16, he admitted to smoking cannabis, leading his father to mandate a visit to a drug rehabilitation clinic. A controversial moment occurred in 2005 when Harry attended a party dressed as a Nazi, which made headlines worldwide. He later expressed deep regret over the incident, acknowledging it as one of his biggest mistakes.

In 2012, Harry faced further scrutiny when he was photographed playing ‘strip billiards’ in a Las Vegas hotel suite with naked women. The images, which spread globally, raised questions about the conduct of his security team.