Just call me Harry
It’s first-name terms, hugs and smiles as Prince flies back to Britain
PRINCE Harry embarked on his last round of official engagements before stepping down as a working royal yesterday and insisted: ‘Call me Harry.’
He was taking part in a ‘working summit’ in Edinburgh for his new eco-travel initiative Travalyst.
The prince will retain his HRH title after he and Meghan walk away from royal duties on March 31 but has been barred from using it commercially.
Yesterday’s event was hosted by broadcaster and former Labour adviser Ayesha Hazarika, who posted a picture of them together on social media with the caption ‘when Hazza met Hazza!’
She introduced him at the conference by saying: ‘ He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm Scottish welcome to Harry.’
Shortly before the event at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, the prince, who was accompanied by five taxpayerfunded Scotland Yard police protection officers, tried to avoid photographers waiting outside the nearby Sheraton Hotel where he had spent the night.
Dressed in grey trousers and a sports jacket with a white opennecked shirt, Harry bounded on to the stage to warm applause from the audience that included 100 representatives from the Scottish travel industry.
Although he had been expected to make only a few opening remarks, he delivered a fiveminute speech about Travalyst’s plans to develop an industry coalition to make eco-friendly and sustainable travel easier for consumers, with more benefits for local communities.
Highlighting predictions that tourism will generate 1.8billion travellers by 2030, Harry warned: ‘If we do not act… this massive increase will mean we see more of the world’s beautiful destinations closed or destroyed, more communities becoming overwhelmed, more beaches shut because of pollution, and animals and wildlife driven from their natural habitat.’
Miss Hazarika confirmed she was specifically asked to tell the audience the prince wanted to be called Harry.
Asked whether she thought this was a nod to the fact that he and Meghan are stepping down as senior royals, she said: ‘Yes, I think so. He was not making a big deal about it... just to say, “Look, I want to move away from that pomp and circumstance”.
‘He doesn’t need a title. He is such a global figure now, he is recognisable all around the world. People know what he and his wife stand for, the causes they are passionate about.’
The prince flew back to Britain on a commercial flight this week and travelled to and from Edinburgh by train.
It is understood he will remain in the UK before further engagements with Meghan next week.
It was the first time Harry had been seen officially in the UK since mid- January.
It was also his first public appearance since he and Meghan posted a statement on their personal website hitting out at the Royal Family and attacking the decision to block them from using their Sussex Royal branding.
‘He doesn’t need a title’