The royal is at the centre of a controversy after pictures of him cavorting stark naked with a mystery girl during a game of 'strip billiards' appeared on the Internet
Obviously what happens in Vegas, does not stay in Las Vegas anymore. It ends up on the social network. Prince Harry is in the centre of a storm after pictures of him cavorting stark naked with a mystery girl during a game of strip billiards appeared on the Internet.u00a0A string of embarrassing photos have surfaced online of the Prince— wearing just a watch and a necklace — partying in his VIP suite in Las Vegas.
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In one graphic shot, Harry is seen protecting his own modesty with his hands as a nude girl hides behind him. Another shows the third in line to the throne bear-hugging an undressed girl with his bum bared to the camera. In the blurred background, fellow revellers are seen gathered around a pool table.
Prince Harry’s spokesman at Clarence House has confirmed the pictures are genuine but refused to comment. Website TMZ published the pictures and said the incident happened last Friday night during a spontaneous party after the prince and his friends made friends with “a bunch of hot chicks”.u00a0A source close to the prince said, “Harry has always been exuberant and it’s just the way he lets off steam.”
What next?
He could face a meeting with his Army superiors when he returns later. Their rules state that ‘social misbehaviour’ is not acceptable, especially if it tarnishes the reputation of Britain’s armed forces.u00a0It is understood that the revellers present were members of the public the prince had met on his trip to Sin City and invited back to his room to ‘continue the party’.
Security concerns
The scandal also makes a mockery of his British tax-payer funded, round-the-clock, police protection team. While Scotland Yard officers — at least two of which have accompanied Harry on holiday — are not there to act as the prince’s moral compass, questions are bound to be asked at the highest level as to why they did not prevent the partygoers from at least taking photographs of his antics.
Dai Davies, the former head of royal protection at the Metropolitan Police Service, said, “We are paying huge amounts of money for this young man to be followed everywhere he goes by security, which costs so much,” said Davies.
“British security costs in excess of £120 million (Rs 1,050 crore) a year, but on the other hand, (royals) have to have a life and they didn’t choose to be royals. Davies added, “I don’t envy their [security officers’] job. It must be a nightmare at times, trying to ensure that he doesn’t get into these kinds of scrapes.”u00a0
Prince Harry vs Ryan Lochte in Vegas pool
The Prince challenged US swimming ace Ryan Lochte to a race after bumping into him in the hotel nightclub’s VIP section on Sunday. And in a bizarre twist, the prince beat the five-time gold medal winner with the help of two Essex boys, who were there on holiday. Adam Aley and Tom Sims grabbed hold of the professional swimmer’s legs as the royal sped away.
Controversial life of the party prince
2002: The 17-year-old Harry admits to smoking cannabis and underage drinking, prompting his father Prince Charles to send him to visit patients at a drug treatment centre.
2004: The Prince gets in a drunken scuffle with a photographer as he leaves a London nightclub.
2005: Harry was pictured at a fancy dress party smoking and drinking while wearing a Nazi Afrika Korps uniform, complete with red swastika armband.
2006: Having joined the Army, Harry films other cadets and zooms in on the face of an Asian colleague and says: ‘Ah, our little P*** friend ... Ahmed.’ Later, while taking part in night manoeuvres in Cyprus, he is heard telling a a comrade: ‘F*** me, you look like a raghead.’
2010: He was accused of animal cruelty after his horse suffered a bloody injury during a polo match. He was photographed riding a pony that appeared to have been stabbed in the flank by his spurs.