Prince Harry In Hot Water Again

The Young Royal Reportedly Attacked A Photographer Outside A London Club

(CBS/AP)  Prince Harry is in some hot water after several newspapers printed pictures of him lashing out at a photographer as he left a London club, allegedly in a drunken stupor.

Reports say Prince Harry walked out of a London nightclub, apparently drunk at 3 a.m. Saturday. He reportedly took a swing at a photographer and then fell to the ground, stumbling as he was trying to get in his car before being driven away. A royal family spokesperson denies that the Prince did anything wrong and in just a few weeks he's due to go to Iraq with his Army unit.

Prince Charles' London office on Saturday night denied that his son, Prince Harry, was involved in a scuffle with a photographer as he left a nightclub.

The young royal allegedly lashed out at a paparazzi as he left popular celebrity haunt Boujis in central London early Saturday.

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Photos: A Prince And An Officer

Photos: Harry's Charity

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Harry is shown in several Sunday newspapers apparently stumbling to the ground and being helped to his feet. In another picture, he is seen standing behind photographer Nirach Tanner who claims the prince attempted to assault him.

Patrick Jephson, the former private secretary to Princess Diana, said this latest incident is very embarrassing to the royal family because the photographs taken of the prince show him acting spoiled and not like a dignified military officer.

"Of course, he is on leave at the moment," Jephson, a former Naval officer, told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "And as the spokesman accurately points out, lots of military officers go out on the weekend. Harry, unfortunately, gets photographed by the news of the world so he's painted as being worse than he really is."

Of course, the prince has been through a lot in his young life. He was only a boy when his mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash in 1997. Jephson said when Prince Harry was younger he was devoted to his mother and now he is devoted to her memory.

"Used to be a nice joke about the young Harry that if you wanted him to do something, the trick was to tell him to do the opposite," Jephson said. "So he's always had a mind of his own."

The News of the World newspaper quoted Tanner as saying the prince swore at him.

"He screamed at me ... then grabbed me and tried to shove me over. He had his hands around my collar and back," Tanner was quoted as saying.

Prince Harry is often closely followed by paparazzi as he visits London nightclubs or bars in an effort to catch him in uncompromising situations. Two years ago, he came under fire for dressing like a Nazi at a costume party. He later apologized.

Jephson pointed out that "British cavalry officers have been falling out of nightclubs for a great many years," so Prince Harry's behavior isn't that far from the norm and it's probably not fair to assume he has a drinking problem.

"There is, perhaps, more of a judgment problem," he said. "If we accept that boys will be boys, this is not a boy like any other. He's about to go off to war, about to come into a very stressful situation. Anything that cast doubt on his judgment, even at the young age of 22, is probably more embarrassing than the issue of whether or not he's had too much to drink."

Jephson said that the military has said there will be no repercussions for the incident, but the British armed forces and the forces of the crown take their reputation very seriously.

"I suspect there's more than one senior cavalry officer looking at their newspapers this morning and saying, well, if this isn't bringing the service into disrepute, I don't know what is," he said.

[ripplebecker]

If Prince Harry wants to go out and drink, that is his business. The paparazzi go to far, they need to leave celebrities alone. I would hate to live a life with cameras going off all the time in my face and my personal life shared with the whole world. I realize that the paparazzi are making a living and celebrities are their bread and butter but they need to give them a break!

[dickfrance]

If in fact what the papers say is true, Prince Harry should be counseled on his behavior.

[cathaleen]

Give the guy a break. He's going off to a very
bad place. They should sing his praises, he's the only one of the sorry royal welfare receipients that is doing anything for his country. Atta boy!

[cperrym]

Paparazzi within the reach of a cricket bat should be fair game. There should be a bounty on ones you can reach without the bat. They would then stay just a few feet away.

[Syndicate]

If prince harry doesn't like the paparazi he should stay inside. I have a little sympathy for the prince, since he was born into this. I don't have any sympathy for other celebrities who seek out this lifestyle. They make a fortune from their celebrity but then *** about the lack of privacy. The same thing that gets them hounded by the press also lets them charge 20,000,000 a movie.

[jetlizhan]

if i knew i was being deployed to iraq - and also if photos were being snapped at me WITH MY EVERY WAKING MOMENT - i'd get drunk and try to kick some @ss too.

[bogusbones]

agree 100% with those who empathize with the prince. i think, with most of us, if our every waking moment involved some jerk with a camera, we'd take a swing at them as well. why don't we send those "photo journalists" to iraq and afghanistan where they can get some real action shots?

[huskerwife1]

I think that Harry taking a swing at a paparazzi is quite benign, compared to say, chasing Diana through the streets and killing her. He's 22, heading off to war, and I don't blame him one bit for having a chip on his shoulder regarding the scum that killed his mother.

[extremophil]

I say, ol' chap. If you try to take my pikchor I shall bloody-well smash your face. I am a prince, after all.

[wiccantexan]

Considering the fishbowl he lives in, anticipation of being in active combat and knowing your royal status could put others in harm's way, and losing your mother so publicly and tragically, I think Harry's holding together pretty well.

[retmilspouse]

Photographers,
Give the kid a break. You want to slam a camera in his face at every turn he makes. Making money off pictures he has not given permission for you to take. And you get surprised and shocked when he lashes out at you. I am sure that you will try and file some kind of criminal charges against him. What about your stalking him, is that not criminal? I agree with the person who said that you guys are fair game for a cricket bat. Have sympathy for a person whose mother was killed in the same fashion that you are doing to him. Just stay away!!

[agnim]

No friend of maniacal murderous and monarchies; but too bad he was too drunk to land a good one on those photog pests. LOL

Getting drunk in Iraq will make him that much better a target, if his handlers dare send him to go kill Iraqi women and children.

[agnim]

No friend of maniacal and murderous monarchies; but too bad the harried Harry was too drunk to land a good one, right on the button of those photog pests. LOL

Getting drunk in Iraq will make him that much better a target, if his handlers dare send him to go kill Iraqi women and children.

[sasi1-2009]

I think the paparazzi has gotten totally out of hand. It is time to curb their gluttonous pursuit of gossip. They seem determined to ruin as many lives as possible. They apparently aren't satisfied that they were predominently responsible for killing his mother -- now they seem out to get the sons. It isn't as though many people don't go out and get blitzed. The only difference is that Harry is a member of the royal family. Truth to tell, most of us aren't all that interested in the smut news.

[ajaxrose1]

Give the kid a break. He's headed for a war zone pretty soon. If he goes on a little bender and smacks a jackass, well I say good for him! He didn't drive himself away, so no harmful driving while he was drunk. So, tell me, what's the big freaking deal? Buzz off!

[sugarmice-2009]

paparazzi are a pain - they cause way too many problems and it's all over money - get that pic and get paid - forget about the safety of people - too bad they can't be outlawed and because they can't they deserve what they get. Paparazzi were there when Diana died - they had the gall to stick their cameras in the car and take pictures - how disrespectful and rude - they should be exterminated... leave the kid alone - he is only human and no law about having fun. Too bad he didn't bash him one good

[dbstevens]

I don't blame the boy for being annoyed with the paparazzi and I think it shows remarkable control for him to have not had MORE confrontations with these disgusting people. They're like vultures and have no respect. This poor kid has not had a chance to have a normal life. And the memory of their involvement in his mother's death must fester inside him. It's a sad situation for a person to be hounded by these people and have absolutely no choice.

As far as the people who say he sheds bad light on the "service" ... It's ironic that these people will criticize a kid getting tipsy at a bar and getting angry at someone who's violating his privacy, yet think nothing of sending this same kid into another country to kill innocent people.

Leave the boy alone and let him live the life he wants to live, without having every footstep he takes plastered all over the papers. Poor kid.

[kennedy19106]

I don't blame Prince Harry for responding the way that he did to the photographers! Even though the photographers were not the exact reason for the death of his mother, they played a "role" in her untimely death. It is quite understandable that he holds a great deal of resentment towards these people.

Let's keep in mind that this is not something that he chose....he was born into this family. Try for once to imagine your every move being photographed. It's almost as though he is being stalked. While I have no sense of compassion for someone like Madonna or Britany Spears complaining about photographers (if you don't like it retire from Hollywood and crawl under a rock), I do for Prince Harry. He is not seeking the attention of the public, he is simply trying to live his life!

[cmp271]

Harry knows what is the reality of being a member of the Royal family in England, and knows better than to act like this. His Uncle Andrew-randy andy-was much worse. These kids deserve a break, their Mother was constantly hounded by the press, and so will they be. If he is going to go out like this then leave through a back door so you are not seen. Use some sense.

The military over there are always out boozing it up, the legal age is 18 and there is a pub on every corner, what does that tell you is the priority in life. Don't be seen, be heard.

[pared1]

If you're getting ready to put your life on the line a good drunk is called for. Leave the guy alone already. Sheesh people are way too media hungry in this country and England.

[nichols_maxi]

Leave harry along as he is only a teenager.need to live some

[besscannon-2009]

You know they make such fuss about illegal drugs, which I agree are bad, but, I read the other day where they found that alcohol and tobacco are every bit as dangerous. Yet, we condemn those addicted to illegal drugs and condone and overlook tobacco and alcohol addictions. Harry needs help with his addiction rater than being censored. If his mother were alive, she would have a more intelligent and loving approach to getting him help.

[rocckme]

There is not much to comment on this particular incident . Prince Harry acted out , and this is to be expected . I would suggest that Tanner should get down and thank his angels , that Prince Harry was only a bit upset , and not really pissed off !

[jfebiala]

He has a right to live his life of hitting the bars, getting drunk, and being a skirt chaser.

However, if he wants to live this way and keep the paparazzi out of his life, he should get out of the United Kingdom, shed his royal title, change his name, so he can live his life anonymously.

If he wants to keep his royal title and serve in the UK military, then he needs to learn to live a clean life.

[harp1963]

If you had someone taking a picture of you every time you stepped out of your house, you would probably get sick of it too. The kid went out and pounded some beers as many young people do. The photographer deserved to be punched. Give the kid some space to have some unihibited fun.

[shaycrystal]

Why can,t they leave the poor kid alone. How many of us can honestly say ,that we have not done something foolish in our younger days? It must be very difficult living your life under a microscope. I don,t think anyone would willingly choose this lifestyle.

[abigail4476]

Gee, I wonder why he holds so much hostility toward the press? Doesn't take a lot of brainpower to figure that one out!

[sero5]

Ban the paparazzi. This will give people sanity in their lives when they are not constantly preyed upon by the media.

[katy284]

Who CARES you people cover the most stupid stories. Leave the kid alone.

[R Terrell]

Can any one really care about behavior of those who model our behavior as a society. Who among us is free from questionable behavior? Something like he who laughs last ya da ya da....

[madnickmom]

I feel bad for the princes. They didn't ask to be born into royalty, and who expects them to walk away from their family? That's crazy. The Paparazzi should back off. Let them grow up and experience life. I left numerous establishments stumbling around in my early 20's. A night out partying here and there does NOT an alcoholic make. I'd smack them too! You go Harry!!!

[elgraz]

It's the end of the world amigo. Oh my God a worldly ******* prince.........right. He should stay in the military.........another pampered royal who knows nothing about the real world..........remember Marie Antoinette........The poor woman got sucked into the French court and paid the ultimate price.....................no head. Doesn't that tell you something ????????????????? you babbling CBS humans ????????????

[elgraz]

madnickmom,
The so called princes..very dubious.... have money up the arse. Never feel sorry for them or the crown,for they don't give a hoot for you and never will. They are British. The British don't give a *** about anyone except themselves. They are all pompous and self serving so called humans.......equivalent to apes....... But apes are better.

[htr1wy]

What is it with people? Why is the paparazzi always in someone's face and then really angry when they get pounded or have their cameras damaged. Anything for a buck I suppose. Harry is doing nothing we all haven't done. As a Viet Nam vet, I drank a bit too much also. Of course I never made the news since I wasn't famous for anything other than a really low draft lottery number of 17.
This is what is wrong with society as a whole, people cannot leave other people alone. Gheesh!