Prince Harry has revealed the surprising career path he once dreamed of pursuing, only for King Charles to firmly rule it out. According to Hello! Magazine, the Duke of Sussex opened up about his early career ambitions in his 2023 memoir Spare, recalling conversations with his father before deciding what to do after leaving Eton.
A Dream of Working at a Ski Resort
Harry admitted he had seriously considered working at the Austrian ski resort of Lech am Arlberg, where Princess Diana often took him and Prince William on holiday. In particular, he said he wanted to work at a fondue hut in the centre of the resort.
"For several years I'd talked in all seriousness about working at the ski resort in Lech am Arlberg, where Mummy used to take us," Harry wrote. "Specifically, I wanted to work at the fondue hut in the centre of town, which Mummy loved. That fondue could change your life."
Father's Firm Response
He added that when he eventually told his father he had abandoned the idea, the then-Prince Charles "sighed with relief." Harry also revealed that another dream of becoming a ski instructor received an equally firm response.
"I was taken with notions of becoming a ski instructor… Pa tensed again," he recalled. According to the Duke, Charles quickly dismissed the idea, prompting Harry to ask whether he could instead become a safari guide. His father's answer was equally blunt: "No, darling boy."
Military Career and Beyond
Instead, after leaving Eton in 2003, Harry spent a gap year travelling before joining the British Army, where he served for a decade and completed two tours of Afghanistan. The Duke has previously described his military career as one of the most rewarding periods of his life.
Although he chose not to attend university, Harry has said he has "never once regretted" that decision and remains grateful for the education he received. Speaking to education campaigner Malala Yousafzai in a previous interview, he said: "I'm hugely grateful for the education I was lucky enough to have."
Reflecting on his military service during an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, Harry said it allowed him to escape the intense media spotlight and experience a sense of normality. "It got me out of the spotlight from the UK press," he said. "I was able to focus on a purpose larger than myself, to be wearing the same uniform as everybody else, to feel normal for the first time in my life."
Since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Harry has gone on to build a new career alongside Meghan Markle, with the couple signing a multi-million-dollar deal with Netflix and launching a number of media and charitable projects.
