Meghan Markle stopped Prince Harry turning into a ‘seedy old roué' when they began dating, claims new royal book

(Image credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Future)

published 8 October 2022

A new royal book has claimed that dating Meghan Markle helped Prince Harry to leave his wild party days behind and settle down.

A new royal book has claimed that Prince Harry was saved from turning into a 'seedy old roué' when he started dating Meghan Markle
As well as detailing the Prince's wild party days, author Valentine Low shares how Harry has now settled into a quieter life in America
In other royal news, Prince Harry and Meghan were spotted 'hugging and dancing' at gig during rare low-key date night

A new book has claimed that a wild, party-loving Prince Harry was saved from becoming a 'seedy old roué' when he started dating Meghan Markle.

Before the Prince married Meghan Markle in 2018 and settled down, the now 38-year-old was reportedly once 'quite a wild lad' and had a reputation as a 'party prince' during his decade-long stint in the military, according to a new book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.

One standout story detailed in the book recounts a time when a naked Prince Harry allegedly played the air guitar with a pool cue at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas hotel in August 2012.

The book details that Harry has now firmly left that life in the past and is enjoying a quieter existence in California, since he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals back in 2020.

Written by Valentine Low, a royal correspondent for The Times, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, which is now available to buy on Amazon, shares how Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who was appointed as Harry and Prince William's private secretary before they became full-time working royals, had to 'steer a course through life' for the young royals, though this path was 'more complex' for Harry.

Low writes, "The younger prince was a dashing figure, flying an Apache helicopter, and was heavily committed in the area of children’s health, with charities like Well Child. But he also used to be quite a wild lad.

"When Harry was young, it was easy to forgive him, his transgressions. But at what point does a wild lad become a seedy old roué? At the time, it was nothing to worry about: just something to keep an eye on.

"Eventually, of course, the problem would resolve itself, but not in a way that Lowther-Pinkerton or anyone else imagined. The wild lad died the day Harry met Meghan Markle."

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.