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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jennifer Newton

Prince Harry almost sparked 'security disaster' after sneaking out of palace as child

It's no secret that Prince Harry had a reputation for being a cheeky as a child.

Countless pictures show him poking his tongue out at photographers while there have been many stories about his sassy antics as a young boy.

But one time, at the age of five of six, his quest for fun gave his security officer a major scare after he managed to sneak out of Kensington Palace on to a busy shopping street.

The heart-stopping moment came after the prince's protection officer Ken Wharfe allowed Harry to play with his radio as he was "fascinated by police equipment".

Prince Harry was known for his cheeky personality as a child (Getty Images)
Harry loved to dress in uniform as a young boy (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Ken said he then invented a game of giving Harry little missions by telling him to go to specific locations around Kensington Palace, where he lived, and checking in on the radio.

The former protection officer told the Daily Mail : "He was thrilled, especially when I directed him to go out of the palace entrance to the stable block to visit his aunt, Lady Jane [Diana's sister]. The block was monitored by CCTV, so this seemed safe."

A young Harry with a young Prince William and their late mum Princess Diana (UK Press via Getty Images)

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He explained that Harry called when he reached his aunt's place so Ken summoned the boy back. But minutes later, the young royal then radioed to say he left palace confines altogether and was at a shop on Kensington High Street.

And Ken added: "What shoppers must have thought to see the Queen's grandson walking down the busy street clutching a police radio, I have no idea.

Harry and wife Meghan Markle are no longer working royals (GC Images)

"I ordered him to come back, and ran to meet him, but I knew we'd been on the verge of a security disaster. The Met would have taken a very dim view, but that's nothing compared to what the Princess [Diana] would have said. Luckily, she never found out."

Earlier this week, Harry released a statement saying he is unable to bring wife Meghan Markle and their two children Archie and Lilibet to the UK due to a lack of security.

The 37-year-old, who remains sixth in line to the throne despite quitting royal duties in 2020, has threatened legal action against the Home Office unless he can have police protection for his family when in the UK.

He is said to be keen to bring Archie and Lilibet to visit his homeland, but claims he is unable to do so.

Megan and Archie have not returned to the UK since the couple walked away from royal life in 2019, while Lilibet has yet to set foot in the country where her dad was born.

Lawyers acting for the Duke of Sussex say they will seek a judicial review if continued security, which he has offered to pay for, is not provided when he and his family visit.

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