Prince Harry set for an awkward reunion with TV host Katie Couric who said he ‘stunk of cigarettes’ and ‘oozed booze from every pore’ in 2012
The Duke of SusđâŻđ could find himself in an uncomfortable reunion with American journalist Katie Couric today in New York. Prince Harry, 40, is set to participate in a panel talk titled “Everything Everywhere All At Once” at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting.
Joining him will be Bill Clinton, his daughter Chelsea, and Matt Damon, alongside Couric, who previously made headlines for her critical remarks about the British royals in her 2021 memoir. In Going There, Katie recalled their 2012 interview in Brazil, describing how Harry, then 27, “smelt of cigarettes” and “oozed booze from every pore.”
Todayâs panel will address pressing global issues, including “climate change, rising inequality, and natural and manmade disasters,” as outlined by the Clinton Global Initiative. It remains to be seen how the two will interact after their past encounter.
Katie Couric will join Prince Harry at the Clinton Global Initiative event, recalling their past encounter during his “wild-oats sowing phase” at a polo match in Brazilâjust two months before his infamous trip to Las Vegas, where he played “strip billiards” naked.
In her 2021 memoir, Going There, the American journalist described the prince’s demeanor during their meeting, noting that the smell of cigarettes and alcohol seemed to “ooze from every pore.” Couric was in Brazil to film a special program about Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
She also took the opportunity to criticize Prince Andrew, recalling the notorious 2010 dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house, where she speculated about the motives behind Andrew’s connections. Couric described Epstein’s New York townhouse as resembling “Eyes Wide Shut with a twist,” featuring “creepy chandeliers and body-part art.”
Guests were served lasagna in shallow bowls while Epstein “held court” in front of the fireplace with notable figures like Chelsea Handler, Woody Allen, and George Stephanopoulos. On the way home, Katie’s ex-boyfriend Brooks Perlin remarked on the youth of the women who took their coats.
When introducing her 2012 interview with Harry on ABC, Couric noted the prince’s reputation for his “cheeky sense of humor and love of partying.” The upcoming reunion will surely bring back memories of their past interactions.
She added: ‘But we got to see the warm and personal side when we talked about what his grandmother means to him.’
‘When we were young, it was very easy to take our grandmother for granted,’ Harry told Couric. ‘She was just a grandmother to us, and it’s only been over the past five, eight to ten years that I’ve come to understand the huge deal she is.’
He also discussed his desire for a family, saying: ‘I’ve longed for kids since I was very, very young. I’m waiting to find the right person and someone who’s willing to take on the job.’
It comes after Prince Harry said in an emotional speech that ‘carrying on Diana’s legacy is something he takes very seriously’ on Monday.
The Duke of SusđâŻđ, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, gave the passionate address to a packed room at Halo Trust’s anti-landmine event in New York.
The charity gained international prominence in 1997 after Princess Diana walked through an active minefield in Angola.
Harry was greeted by a rapturous round of applause as he took to the stage to deliver an eight minute speech in which spoke of the charity’s work in Angola meaning a ‘great deal’ to his late mother.
Looking solemn faced, he said: ‘Carrying on her legacy is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously.
‘And I think we all know how much she would want us to finish this particular job. We are all here because we are a band of true believers, fighting for a mine free world.’
Wearing a navy suit with a Halo Trust pin on his lapel, he recalled following in his mother’s footsteps in 2019 when he visited Angola, 22 years after Diana had walked through minefields in the African country.
Harry spoke of the many changes that he had gone through since his visit five years ago, including becoming a father for the second time with the birth of daughter Lilibet in 2021.
And he said although you don’t need to have children to have a ‘stake in the future of our planet’, the Duke said his mother would have been ‘horrified’ to know that anyone’s children or grandchildren live in a world still ‘infested with mines’.
In an apparent nod to Diana he issued a rallying cry to ‘finish the job’ as he said: ‘Tomorrow let’s wake up and get back to work, let’s renew our commitments and let’s finish the job for all our sakes.
‘So we too can look back in awe and relief and so those who started this recovery and regeneration many years ago can rest knowing we really did finish the job.’
Earlier today, Harry appeared on stage in New York to discuss mental health and climate change with two young winners of a legacy award given in Princess Diana’s memory.
The Duke said his late mother would be ‘proud’ of them as he took part in the 14th Concordia Annual Summit in support of The Diana Award on his eight-day solo trip to the East Coast and the UK.
Harry, who cracked his knuckles and looked nervous as he sat down on stage, spoke of the importance of mental wellness at an event where participants talked about their climate anxiety.
He personally interviewed Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia and Christina Williams from Jamaica, who received The Legacy Award in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, joking: ‘For some reason Iâve been given the microphone to ask the questionsâ.
He told them: ‘I applaud you for having the confidence to be on this stage. I know my mother would be incredibly proud of you guys. Your activism is true to how my mother lived her life’.
Harry, wearing a navy suit and tie with a Diana Award pin on his lapel, asked: ‘Do you feel like leaders and people in positions of power are listening to you?’, adding that he wanted the The Diana Award to help their campaigning to tackle climate change and bring influence around the world.
And when asked what gives him hope for the future he said: ‘I have said it before years ago and I’ll say it again. The younger generation is what gives me hope. The courage you have gives me hope. Everyone of us needs courage to move the dial in this world, probably more than ever. We need to listen and act on what you say because it is your future that will be stolen and that is unacceptable’.
His decision to jet off alone to New York to meet royals and celebrities before a solo trip to Britain shows he is determined to ‘carve out’ new opportunities and ‘assert himself’ after turning 40, experts told MailOnline yesterday.
The Duke is away from Montecito for the next eight days and went to a California benefit organised by Kevin Costner on Saturday, without his American wife.
Harry has always made an effort to continue his mother’s ‘unfinished’ work, revealing in 2022 that he felt ‘obligated’ to live out her legacy ‘as much as possible’.
In a podcast interview, Harry told former rugby player Gareth Thomas: ‘I think once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, you can’t turn, I certainly can’t turn, my back on that.
‘Then add in the fact that my mum’s work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible.’
He added: ‘I could never fill her shoes, especially in this particular space because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue.’
Harry’s attendance had sparked speculation that he may be in the city at the same time as his brother Prince William who is thought to attending the third annual Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit at The Plaza Hotel on September 24.
It’s unknown if he will attend for sure, but he was present last year at the same event.
If Prince William does come to New York when Harry is there, it’s likely the brothers will steer clear from one another, as a source told The Sunday Times in August that the siblings hadn’t spoken in ‘two years.’
It was said that the last time they talked was at their grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022.
The insider described the ‘estrangement’ as ‘dreadfully sad,’ adding that Prince William doesn’t even want Harry at his coronation when the time comes.
