Prince Harry and Prince William partied so much as teenagers that Highgrove House was known as “Club H”, claims royal author
The brothers' father, King Charles, left them 'to look after themselves'


A new book has claimed that Prince William and Prince Harry were often left to fend for themselves, with their father King Charles leaving them to throw crazy parties in Highgrove House as teenagers
- A royal author has claimed that King Charles was not a 'present' father, leaving his then teenage sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, often unable to get in touch with him
- Subsequently, the boys became rebellious, allegedly throwing parties so frequently that Highgrove House began to be known as 'Club H'
- In other royal news, Prince Harry has confirmed the name and release date of his upcoming new book
After the death of their mother, Princess Diana, the then teenagers Prince William and Prince Harry were often left alone, with no way to contact their dad, the then Prince Charles.
The claims come from a new royal book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown which is available on Amazon, written by royal expert Katie Nicholl. According to Nicholl, King Charles was not a 'present' father with his sons, often leaving them to their own devices as he was 'busy' with work and his longtime love, the then Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Nicholl writes, “With a busy work schedule and Camilla now very much a priority in his private diary, Charles placed too much trust in William and Harry to look after themselves."
When the boys were not staying at the elite boarding school Eton College, they spent the majority of their time at their father’s home, Highgrove House, but Charles was rarely there, one of Charles' former aides told Nicholl.
According to the former aide, this lack of attention led the young brothers to act out and become rebellious.
They explained, “The boys wanted their independence, and they probably had too much of it. Often when they wanted to speak to their father, he wasn’t around, and because he didn’t carry a cell phone with him, they would get frustrated that they couldn’t get a hold of him. If they needed him, they’d end up calling his protection officers so they could talk to him, which wasn’t ideal. They wanted to speak to their dad, but Charles doesn’t do calls on the hoof or texting; he likes to make time for considered conversations.”
When the teenagers were left un-supervised, whether by their father, his aides or the surrogate families Charles would reportedly send the boys off to, according to Her late Majesty’s cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, they got into trouble.
Lady Elizabeth told Nicholl, “At Highgrove on weekends, the boys could be at a loose end because Charles wasn’t always around.”
Nicholl reports that because parties were so frequently thrown by the brothers, Highgrove House began to be known as “Club H,” and by 2001, when Harry was just 17, he was drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes at an inn near the home.
Nicholl details, “Those who knew turned a blind eye, but when an aide recognised the unmistakable smell of marijuana emanating from Club H, the young prince was busted.”
Unfortunately, the brothers' foray into party throwing led to their first of many siblings rifts, as only Harry got in trouble, even though William was there at the time, too, Nicholl writes.
Related articles:
- When will Prince Harry's memoir come out and what will he share?
- Queen Consort Camilla was supportive of Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2007 breakup, reveals royal expert
- Reliving memories in Netflix’s new season of The Crown will be “incredibly hard" for Prince Harry and Prince William, claims royal expert
- Kate Middleton could be given this 'unprecedented' role by King Charles in a break from royal tradition
- Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis ‘will never call’ Camilla their grandmother, according to new book
Goodto Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.

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.
-
This baby name is giving 'old gentleman' vibes and new parents are loving it - would you choose it?
It's not the only vintage choice that's making a comeback
By Ellie Hutchings Published
-
'I need to split myself in two to be a working mum' New report lays bare the 'disproportionate impact' childcare has on a mother's career
New research has highlighted the struggle working mothers have trying to balance their work and family life
By Sarah Handley Published
-
The 'heartbreaking' question King Charles was asked about his grandchildren, and it's bound to have hit a nerve
The King might not have expected this
By Selina Maycock Published
-
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet might have just had a secret-family reunion with this special relative - and we’re sure Prince Harry was delighted
Prince Harry may be estranged from the Royal Family but he has his maternal relatives to lean back on
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince Harry reportedly believed King Charles did not want to ‘see his grandchildren anymore’ after evicting the family from Frogmore Cottage claims new royal book
Prince Harry lives in LA with his wife Meghan Markle and two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will reportedly ‘attend boarding school together’ after ‘heated debates’ between Prince William, Kate Middleton and King Charles III over the children's future
The siblings are set to join Kate Middleton's former boarding school
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
King Charles is spending ‘much more time’ with his grandchildren after Prince William made this candid confession
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis get to see a lot of their grandfather
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Unearthed Princess Diana chat reveals Prince William's 'extraordinary' traits - and we totally spot them in his own kids too
Princess Diana said Prince William had these remarkable traits as a toddler
By Selina Maycock Published
-
Why did Diana call William wombat? The truth behind the adorable childhood nickname
Everything we know about why Princess Diana called her eldest son a wombat when he was younger
By Selina Maycock Published
-
Prince William’s response to a schoolboy who asks him “How much money is in your bank account?” - it left us speechless
The Prince of Wales was quizzed about his finances during a royal engagement and his response to the schoolboy was surprising
By Selina Maycock Published