Harry and William both had ponies, and from an early age Harry was taught to ride, first by a local instructor named Marion Cox, then by James Hewitt. The young prince was fearless and had what his aunt Anne, an Olympic equestrienne who was a Burghley gold medallist, called ‘a good seat’. A love of horses, of course, ran in the Royal Family. Both the Queen and Queen Mother were avid turfites. Prince Philip had been a world-class polo player and, upon retiring, had taken up carriage-driving. Prince Charles had also been a polo player, and Princess Anne felt that Harry had such natural ability that he could grow up to compete as long as he dedicated himself to the sport.
More than horses, what Harry loved from an early age, was all things military. James Hewitt told me in the 1990s how he had mini-uniforms made for both princes, and how they absolutely adored parading around in them, especially after James taught them to salute properly. But it was Harry, not William, who truly relished the military, and even at that early age, it was apparent that his niche would be a career in the armed forces.
This was just as well, for once Harry started school, it quickly became apparent that he was as unacademic as his mother had been. At the age of three, he followed William to a Montessori kindergarten, Mrs Mynors’ Nursery School in Chepstow Villas in Notting Hill, a five minute drive from Kensington Palace. Jane Mynors was a bishop’s daughter whose thirty six charges started their day with a prayer, following which they moved on to singing, cutting paper with scissors and making shapes, singing, or playing out of doors. Throughout the years that the children were being prepared to begin their formal education, they were expected to learn how to paint and sing, but not how to read. Although Harry seemed to start well enough, his progress was not helped by Diana’s propensity for allowing him to play truant. He preferred to stay at home with her, cuddling in her lap for hours while they watched movies, rather than attending school. Diana’s friend Simone Simmons remembered how ‘he used to go down with more coughs and colds than William, but it was nothing serious. Most of the time I think he just wanted to be at home with his Mummy. He loved having her to himself and not having to compete with William.’
Diana also enjoyed having him to herself. Harry’s stay at Mrs Mynors’ coincided with the height of Diana’s love affair with James Hewitt. At various times, she would surrender to the fantasy of being married to him, creating a degree of frustration for herself that cannot have been conducive to serenity. Her children, Harry especially, were her comfort, and she derived as much emotional gratification from interacting with them as they did from her.
Once a week, on Wednesdays, Diana took the boys to have tea with their grandmother the Queen. She would warn them to be on their best behaviour, and doubtless they thought they were, but they possessed an uncontained air which was apparent even when they were being good. Harry was especially ‘demonstrative and affectionate, the most huggable little boy,’ according to Diana’s friend Carolyn Bartholomew, which in itself indicated a degree of emotionalism that did not sit well with the royal way, in which emotional containment is prized over demonstrativeness. Already there were concerns that the boys might grow up, under Diana’s ministrations, to be as hyper-emotional as she was. And that was something no one wanted, for public roles are best fulfilled with the emotions contained rather than revelled in.
At the age of five, Harry followed William to Wetherby Pre-Preparatory School in Wetherby Gardens, Kensington. This was even nearer to Kensington Palace than Mrs Mynors’. Now that Harry was that much older, staying home curled up on sofas watching movies with Mummy had less appeal, so his attendance record improved. He was a popular student, boisterous and fun-loving, qualities he would carry into adulthood, at least until marriage. When he was not at school, he would haunt the staff quarters, chatting to the staff and begging Ken Wharfe, his mother’s protection officer, to set him tasks. Harry liked nothing better than being given military assignments. By this time, everyone was convinced his future would be in the military.
Harry was also a natural athlete. He was good at everything he did. Having learnt to ski at the age of six, he was fearless on the slopes, though sometimes stopping was a problem. Once, he had to be dug out of the mud when he ran out of snow and ended up in the bushes.
He would soon have greater scope for his athleticism. In September 1992, Harry was sent to Ludgrove School, a preparatory school in Wokingham, Berkshire, near Windsor Castle and even nearer to his grandmother’s racecourse, Ascot. William was already a pupil. Having his elder brother there made the transition easier. For the first few weeks, Harry was, like most new boys, homesick, but he made the adjustment, partly with the help of William, and partly by discovering that he now had a host of athletic activities to choose from. Soon he was enthusiastically playing football, tennis, rugby, and cricket, his physical prowess compensating for his intellectual insufficiencies. It was quickly apparent that Diana was right. Harry was his mother’s son. He had no academic bent whatsoever. This was something of a disappointment to his father and the school, for William was following in his father’s footsteps and displaying intellectual interest in a host of subjects.
Later that year, the Queen would label
