In August 2012, a chance meeting between two of the world's most famous bachelors in Las Vegas set the stage for an international royal scandal. Prince Harry and Olympic gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte partied together just hours before the Prince's now-infamous nude photos were leaked to the global press.
A Fateful Meeting in Sin City
The encounter took place in the early hours at the luxury Wynn hotel. Lochte, then 28, was in town celebrating his birthday after winning two gold medals at the London Olympics. Prince Harry, 27, was taking downtime after serving as a royal ambassador during the same Games.
According to Lochte, he was approached by a man who asked if he wanted to meet the Prince. "It was a huge honour to meet him. He's a great guy," Lochte later told the Daily Mail. After mingling, Prince Harry issued a surprising challenge to the swimming champion.
The Impromptu Pool Race
As Lochte prepared to return to his friends, the Royal stopped him. "Wait, you want to get in the pool and race me? Right now?" Harry asked. When Lochte moved to fetch his swimming gear, the Prince insisted they dive in fully clothed.
The party crowd cleared a makeshift 10-metre lane in the pool. A woman in a bikini acted as finish judge. "Watching him swim, he does have good form," Lochte admitted. "I was surprised. But of course, I won. He was a great competitor but in the end it was Team USA all the way!"
The pair parted ways around 4:30 am, with Lochte returning to his friends. He later called it a "one-time thing." Crucially, Lochte had his friends' phones confiscated upon returning to his hotel suite—a precaution Prince Harry did not take.
The Aftermath and Lasting Embarrassment
The consequences unfolded the next day. While Lochte avoided controversy, a guest in Prince Harry's VIP suite secretly photographed the royal playing strip billiards, resulting in nude images splashed across front pages worldwide.
In his autobiography, Spare, Harry described his horror at seeing the photos, writing of his "sense of guilt and shame." He berated himself for being "so stupid" and for trusting others. The incident caused significant embarrassment for the Royal Family.
A shamed Prince Harry soon returned to a 20-week military deployment in Afghanistan. Reflecting on the scandal, Lochte expressed sympathy for his brief acquaintance. "He was there to have fun, and it's just sad that someone would go out of their way to try to sabotage him to make a quick buck," the swimmer said.
This notorious episode remains a defining moment in Prince Harry's journey from a playful young royal to a figure constantly navigating the intense scrutiny of public life.
