Prince Harry is celebrating his 34th birthday today, and his first birthday since marrying Meghan Markle in May, the sixth in line to the British throne has had an exceptional life full of turmoil, love and fun.
Thirty-four years ago on 15 September 1984, he was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London where his parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana proudly showed him to the world.
The younger brother of Prince William, the future King of England, and the second and youngest son of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess Of Wales, Harry’s life has led him on a journey that few can match.
He has spent a year in Australia and Lethoso in his youth, graduated from Eton, attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, served in Afghanistan and married the love of his life among many other spectacular journeys.
Born Henry Charles Albert David, he became known as Harry to friends and family. This is his story in pictures.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana, leave St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, with their new baby son christened Henry Charles Albert David. Princess Diana carries the new baby, Prince Harry who was born on September 15th at 4:20 pm
Princess of Wales, born Diana Spencer, carries her son, Prince Harry, off a flight at Aberdeen Airport on New Year’s Day 1981
Three-month-old Prince Henry of Wales, the younger son of The prince and princess of Wales after his christening in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, with his parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in his christening gown
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales pose with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry in the wild flower meadow at Highgrove on July 14, 1986 in Tetbury, England, the home of Prince Charles, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall
Prince Harry’s birthday treat visit to Battle of Britain exhibition at the RAF museum in London September 1990 in NW London
Britain’s Prince Harry sticks out his tongue for the cameras on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England on June 11, 1988, following the Trooping of the Colour. Princess Diana holds Harry, as a smiling Prince William sits in front, and Lady Gabriella Windsor is seen on the left
Prince William and Prince Harry arriving at Wetherby Preparatory School with their mother, Princess Diana, for their first day at their new school. Diana led the two boys up to the entrance of the Notting Hill school by the hand. The brothers looked adorable as they posed in their matching uniforms
Prince Harry during a visit to the barracks of the Light Dragoons in Hanover, Germany. Prince Harry went on to serve with the British Forces in the Helmand province in southern Afghanistan before an Australian magazine revealed his identity
Princess Diana on a water ride at Thorpe Park with Prince Harry. A delighted Princess Diana and her sons launched themselves with laughter Into the thrills, spills and spray of their favourite theme park in 1992
Princess Diana took her family to Thorpe Park in 1992. Harry revealed that Diana was ‘one of the naughtiest parents’. ‘She was fun through and through,’ he said. ‘One of her mottos to me was, ‘You can be as naughty as you want, just don’t get caught.’
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry with other members of the Royal family watch an honour guard at Clarence House, where the Queen Mother received flowers to mark her 97th birthday
Prince Charles and Prince Harry in North Kuduka Village School in South Africa in 1997. ‘Charles always wanted a girl,’ Princess Diana is on record as saying.’Harry was a boy. His first comment was, ‘Oh God, it’s a boy.’ His second: ‘And he’s even got red hair,’ she added
Prince Philip, Prince William, Charles Althorp, Prince Charles and Prince Harry at the funeral of the young heir’s mother on the sixth of September 1997. On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in Paris, France
Prince William, left, and Prince Harry, the sons of Diana, Princess of Wales, bow their heads as their mother’s coffin is taken out of Westminster Abbey Saturday Sept. 6, 1997 following her funeral service
Prince Harry with Prince Charles, stood in silence at the end of Marlborough Road, St James’s Palace. Harry’s head bowed as the coffin, passed in front of them. Although the media blamed the behaviour of the paparazzi who followed the car that crashed and caused Diana’s death, a French judicial investigation in 1999 found that the crash was caused by Henri Paul, who lost control of the Mercedes at high speed while he was intoxicated and under the effects of prescription drugs
A 12-year-old Prince Harry leaves his school house for his first day of lessons at Eton College. He Is wearing the traditional Eton tail coat. Harry had filled his Eton dorm room with personal mementos and posters, with a framed portrait of his late mother – taken by Mario Testino – taking pride of place on his desk
Prince Harry with prince Charles during a Royal Family visit at Loch Mucik Falls in Balmoral, Scotland in 1997. In August Meghan Markle and Prince Harry joined the Queen at her Balmoral estate during Bank Holiday weekend, as part of the royal couple’s summer holidays
A picture from November 2001 showing a young Prince Harry after playing Eton wall game, a sport which bears some resemblance to rugby union and that originated at and is still played at Eton College
A focused Prince Harry playing in the Eton V Cheltenham polo match in Cirencester, Gloucestershire in May 2003. Harry was regarded as a gutsy player with little fear, he was a member of the Eton College team who won the national schools titlefollowing in the footsteps of his father
Harry shown here at Eton College parade ground in May 2003. Prince Harry served in the Army for ten years, rising to the rank of Captain and undertaking two tours of Afghanistan. He continues to work in support of his fellow servicemen, promoting support for wounded men and women as they adapt to life post-injury
The young prince pumps his fists in delight on his last day at Eton in June 2003. He revealed during a 2015 visit to a Cape Town youth centre that works to rehabilitate gang leaders that he didn’t enjoy the school and ‘wanted to be the bad boy’
Prince Philip, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles with the Queen Mother during her 101st birthday celebrations at Clarence House on 4th August in 2001
Prince Harry affectionately kissing a polo pony at Cirencester Park Polo Club. This year he warmed hearts by kissing his new wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, at Sentebale Polo Club in Berkshire
Prince Harry and his girlfriend Chelsy Davy laugh before the Investec Challenge international rugby match South Africa vs. England in Twickenham, west London, on November 22, 2008
Chelsy Davy, the daughter of Zimbabwean, South Africa-based businessman Charles Davy, was referred to as Harry’s girlfriend in an interview conducted for his 21st birthday, and Harry said he ‘would love to tell everyone how amazing she is but once I start talking about that, I have left myself open… There is truth and there is lies and unfortunately I cannot get the truth across.’
Britain’s Prince Harry wears the beret of the Blues and Royals, which forms part of the Household Cavalry, the oldest and most senior regiment in the Army, while taking part in his final training exercise, in Cyprus, in March 2006
Britain’s Prince Harry, center, joins cadets on the back of a military vehicle during a field exercise at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Friday, June 25, 2010, in New York
Harry launched Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting event for injured servicemen and women in 2014. Prince Harry at the Invictus Games Launch at the Copper Box Arena in London on the sixth of March 2014
Prince Harry greets actor Morgan Freeman with Michelle Obama and George W Bush in the background at the Invictus Games opening ceremony in Orlando, America on the 8th of May 2016
On 6 March 2014, Harry launched Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting event for injured servicemen and women, which was held on 10–14 September 2014. Prince Harry is shown here with then US president Barack Obama at the wheelchair basketball event of the Invictus Games, Toronto, Canada on 29 Sep 2017
Britain’s Prince William, foreground left, and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, foreground right, best man Britain’s Prince Harry, back left, and maid of honour Philippa Middleton, back right, accompany them following their wedding service at Westminster Abbey in London, Friday, April 29, 2011
On 27 November 2017, Clarence House and Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were engaged. This photo is from the wedding of the pair, it depicts the bride in her gown with her new husband during the carriage procession at Windsor Castle
The new Royal couple share a tender moment at their ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire, in May this year. On 8 November 2016, Kensington Palace confirmed that Harry was ‘a few months’ into a relationship with Meghan Markle