The photos of Prince Harry naked on website TMZ have stunned the world this morning. So how much of an issue is it that he is seen like this in a hotel in Las Vegas? 
It isn’t uncommon for young men to strip off. After all, many young men will have some photos of them larking about naked – often when they were in their late teens and drunk mooning off a hotel balcony in Mallorca or some other destination.
But these are different in that the woman (or women – it isn’t really clear if it’s the same person) is also naked. And they are definitely the sort of photos you don’t want to pop up, even on Facebook – after all, they are surely not the sort of thing you would want your boss to see.
Certainly we have written about how prospective employers often google interviewees and finding something like this can mean you won’t be offered that job.
Not to mention prospective girlfriends – stumbling on this sort of photo of their new boyfriend is hardly a turn-on.
Also Prince Harry isn’t a teenager – he is a man aged 27. And he is different from the rest of us because he is third in line to the throne. One might imagine he – as any responsible young man – would have gone past the stage when he believes it’s a a laugh to be caught in a photo like this – or want to be seen in any way to be acting like this.
I don’t know of many hard working young men who would go this far either to be completely naked with some women in a hotel.
Unfortunately, it isn’t high jinks following a game of rugby – there is something rather seedy and not nice.
We are not suggesting these pictures are anything more than harmless fun and some flirting during a strip game that has gone a little too far – although it’s interesting Clarence House, who have confirmed they are of Prince Harry, has declined to comment. The right approach we believe – what on earth could they say?
Some people might claim such antics make Prince Harry more ‘normal’. Comments on The Sun website include those from members of the public saying, “You’re only young once”, “He is an absolute legend. Haha great stuff” and “This guy is awesome!! I would do the same.” Meanwhile,’Naughty but Nice’ is for example how the Mirror labels the story. Others are questioning the privacy issue, pointing out that he has the right to a private life.
But like it or not the story is out there for the world to see (with photos shown on press websites abroad and online rather than on UK sites) and it is yet another example to those who live abroad and believe the UK is full of young men who have no idea how to behave properly.
We say already young British men don’t have a great reputation and here is another one, showing off a less than desirable side. And as an insight into how Prince Harry spends his time, it’s an embarrassing insight and one we wish we hadn’t seen.
We think it’s a huge shame he’s been photographed like this now when all eyes were on the UK for the right reasons – the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympic games. And really, you would imagine as an ambassador for the UK – he was one of the representatives for the Royal Family in the closing ceremony for the Olympics – you would think he’d have more sense and be more responsible.
What do you think? Harmless fun or damaging to the image of the Royal Family? Let us know your thoughts below…
