Though turning 18 is a significant occasion for any teenager, the event takes on an even larger meaning when you’re the son of the heir to Britain’s throne. As Prince Harry’s 18th birthday approaches on September 15, the young royal is preparing for the landmark year with plans that in many ways echo the memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Until now, the public has mostly seen the increasingly handsome Prince driving around in his VW Golf, munching on hamburgers and chatting with friends – often female, pretty and blonde – at polo matches. His 18th birthday, however, will see Harry take on a greater role in philanthropy and humanitarian causes.
According to the Daily Mail, he’ll be taking up the torch for four themes close to Princess Diana's heart – the homeless, drugs, AIDS and the elderly – in a series of public engagements.
Prince Charles has reportedly invited the late Princess’ favourite photographer Mario Testino, who famously captured Diana in a series of Vanity Fair photographs just one month before her 1997 death, to take Harry’s official 18th birthday portraits. Charles was “delighted” with the results of a photo session he had with the famed snapper at Highgrove last year, and is a great admirer of his work.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
