Guess who stopped by for some shopping…

PRINCE Harry is one of the most famous faces on the planet.

But thanks to a ginger beard grown during a recently completed Antarctica trek to the South Pole, he managed to do a spot of incognito Christmas shopping at the V&A Waterfront on Thursday.

Accompanied by three bodyguards, the 29-year-old British royal strolled down from his hotel unnoticed into the packed shopping precinct shortly after lunch time. Wearing a cap and dark glasses to complete his disguise, he walked into Cape Union Mart where he shopped for a selection of casual shirts.

Then he moved on to a nearby curio shop, Taung Trading Post, where he purchased a mystery gift that was wrapped by a shopping assistant who appeared not to recognise the famous customer.

Judging by the way Prince Harry lugged the Taung shopping carrier around the Waterfront though, it was a heavy gift.

After four weeks in Antarctica in freezing temperatures as low as -50ºC, Prince Harry looked like he was taking strain in the 30ºC – plus heat, as his cheeks turned red and he frequently wiped the sweat from his brow.

Next stop was Market on the Wharf, where Harry made a beeline straight to the biltong stall to purchase a large packet of biltong.

‘The woman who cut his biltong never batted an eyelid’

“He blended in with the crowd,” said one shopper who recognised Harry behind his disguise.

“The woman who cut his biltong never batted an eyelid. He was just another customer. The only thing that stood out was his politeness. He thanked her twice before moving off.”

By now in need of refreshment, Harry and his bodyguards then stopped off at The Bubble Tea Com- pany where they bought cups of the fashionable new drink that has taken the world by storm.

Like any other shopper in need of a break, they then sipped their tipples on a bench in the shade of a Nobel Square tree under the gaze of Nelson Mandela’s statue.

Rested, the royal entourage then strolled through the shopping throngs into the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre to the photographic supplies store, Audiolens. There Harry idly watched passing shoppers while a bodyguard completed a purchase.

Again no-one seemed to give the Bubble Tea-sipping royal so much as a second glance.

Ten minutes later the Prince was spotted strolling slowly back to his hotel, chatting and joking with his bodyguards along the way. Prince Harry flew back to the UK yesterday.

Last weekend he camped out at the South Pole after successfully completing his Walking With The Wounded charity expedition with a group of injured servicemen.

Earlier this week, the group had to beat a retreat out of Novolazarevskaya airbase back to Cape Town to avoid an approaching storm.

MR INVISIBLE: That well-known sexy smile comes out to play. Britain’s Prince Harry was carrying a shopping bag from Cape Union Mart, where he apparently went unrecognised by the sales assistant.