Lip Reader Exclaims Charles and William Mocked Teenage Harry as 'Mad' in 1998
A lip reader has asserted that King Charles and Prince William teased a teenage Prince Harry, calling him 'mad' during their 1998 visit to Canada, nearly three decades before their well-documented rift. This revelation comes from Channel 5's documentary Lip-Reading The Royals: What Are They Really Saying?, which airs on Saturday at 8pm.
Frosty Exchange on the Slopes
Lip reader Nicola Hickling analysed a clip from a ski trip to Whistler, where Harry, then 13, opted for style over comfort by wearing a baseball cap on the slopes. According to Ms Hickling, Harry complained while posing for cameras on the ski lift with his father and brother, stating: 'I'm so cold.'
The King, then Prince Charles, turned to William, then 15, and remarked: 'He has no sense. Of course it's bloody cold. We're in the snow.' William apparently replied: 'Didn't he bring a spare hat?' Charles responded: 'He wanted to wear that cap. I told him he was mad and that it's very cold. He doesn't make it easy for himself.' William concluded: 'Let him crack on. He will learn. He will probably get frostbite.' Nicola interpreted Charles' final response as: 'Perhaps.'
Context of the 1998 Royal Tour
This mini Royal tour in March 1998 occurred just seven months after the death of Princess Diana. Its primary purpose was to provide Charles, William, and Harry with private time together at the Rocky Mountain ski resort of Whistler. Before hitting the slopes, the trio spent 24 hours in Vancouver, where William was reportedly unsettled by a 'Willsmania' pop-star welcome.
Actress Nina Wadia commented on the clip: 'The royal family they are just human beings and this is the perfect example of it. I love the fact that his brother and his father are ripping into him. Of course style is more important than practicality, he's a teenage boy! Of course he's going to wear a baseball cap on a ski lift and then complain that it's cold.'
Grant Howard, a former royal butler, added: 'What's nice with this clip is you see the King trying to take his kids - he's trying to get them to do fun things and have some time with them and enjoy their company. Even though it's obviously gone wrong with this conversation.'
Additional Royal Revelations from the Series
In another moment from the series, a lip reader claimed that the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip 'rowed over biscuits' during a 2004 state visit to France. The couple were in Paris, watching a calvary display by the elite Cadre Noir riding college, when Her Majesty began rifling through her handbag.
According to lip reader Khalil Anwar, she turned to Philip and said: 'I have mints in here.' Her husband then replied with something off-camera, to which Elizabeth 'snapped back': 'Yes, I have biscuits.' The late Duke of Edinburgh allegedly responded: 'I only asked and you are being in a mood with me today. I would like this to be a nice day, today.' The lip-reader believes the Queen tried to diffuse the situation, saying: 'Let's stop this now. Of course I don't want you to suffer.'
Royal commentator Ingrid Seward told the programme: 'That's a delightful exchange. Philip and the Queen used to bicker a lot, so it's quite interesting to see the boot on the other foot if you know what I mean. We always hear about Philip being rude to the Queen, but here's the Queen snapping at him.' Actress Nina Wadia also called the sweet spat 'hugely entertaining', adding: 'This is just every day real life. And I love that they are normal.'
Grant Howard, the former royal butler, noted: 'What's funny with this glimpse is everyone wants to know what's in the Queen's handbag. What it says to me is she basically had a walking buffet in that bag!'
