For years and years, royal biographers have detailed Prince William and Prince Harry’s early-years boozing. When Harry was a teenager and even into his 20s, he probably spent most weekends swimming in alcohol. Harry’s boozy adventures were often used as a cover for his older brother, who was and perhaps still is quite a drinker. Mike Tindall recently revealed that his nickname for William is “One Pint Willy.” William also looked under the influence during a mid-day investiture ceremony two weeks ago. I strongly suspect that William has been a heavy drinker for years. Well, now Piers Morgan is confirming that William was boozing it up when he was just 13 years old.
“HELLO, Sir,” I said to Prince William when we first met nearly 30 years ago. A tall, shy 13-year-old boy with braces on his teeth tentatively shook my hand at Kensington Palace. His mother, Princess Diana, had invited me to a private lunch – I was editor the Daily Mirror at the time – and at the last minute, asked if I minded her elder son joining us.
“That would be terribly inconvenient,” I replied, deadpan. Diana blushed slightly and started a stuttering “Yes, of course, I’m so sorry…” apology before I burst out laughing.
“Ma’am, I think I can stretch to allowing the future King to join me for lunch!”
What followed was the most extraordinary meal of my life in which Diana opened up about everything in her life from her failed marriage and numerous boyfriends to her cellulite and the future of the Monarchy, as William eyed me throughout like a suspicious young dolphin encountering a hungry shark. He was a polite, intelligent, mature-beyond-his years, quite intense young man who was clearly very close to, and protective of his mother. But there was one moment which has always stuck in my mind.
William asked for a glass of wine to match mine, and Diana, mindful of how such underage boozing would look to a scoop-ravenous tabloid news hound, instantly snapped “No, William, what are you thinking?”
He replied: “But Mummy, I drink it all the time.”
“Erm, you don’t actually, and you can’t have any!” she exclaimed, nervously.
“Yes, I do, and yes, I can!” he chuckled. And he then did. This, I thought, was a boy who knew his own mind, and had a slightly naughty, rebellious streak.
We met a few more times after that, and he was always charm personified, once prodding my stomach at a party and guffawing: “That’s not a six-pack, Piers, that’s a keg!”
The rest of Piers’ column is all about how Harry “betrayed” William by, you know, getting married and moving to America. Harry was supposed to stick around so William could hide behind him forever! Harry was supposed to be like Princess Margaret, trapped in the royal system, divorced and unlucky in love, and a tragic alcoholic. Instead, William is the one who is trapped, William is the one who seems unhappy in his marriage, William is the one who needs booze to get through daytime work events. Again, I know both William and Harry were huge drinkers and they abused alcohol when they were far too young. But it looks like only one of them outgrew it and got therapy and stopped self-medicating with alcohol. Anyway, it’s curious that Piers put this out there.
The Prince of Wales has returned to royal duties after his wife’s abdominal operation and following the announcement of the King’s cancer diagnosis.https://t.co/Ig4ZQJ3Vi4 pic.twitter.com/KUXAYfZZfp
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 7, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.