Prince Harry has always been open about his past struggles, particularly regarding substance use, which he candidly discussed in his memoir, Spare.

However, a lesser-known aspect of his youth at Eton College has recently come to light—his rather infamous nickname.

Harry attended Eton from 1998 to 2003, where he completed his A-Levels.

It was during these formative years that he earned the moniker “Hash Harry,” a label bestowed upon him by his peers, as revealed by royal historian Robert Lacey in his 2020 book, Brothers of Brothers.

This nickname stemmed from the distinct scent that often wafted from his dorm room, hinting at his early experiences with marijuana.

While Harry himself opened up about his encounters with drugs in *Spare*, detailing how he first experimented with cannabis while at school, he didn’t mention this particular nickname.

He recounted a vivid memory of how he and his friends would gather in a small bathroom to smoke, forming an almost ritualistic routine.

“I don’t remember how we got the stuff,” he reminisced, sharing tales of laughter and camaraderie amid their clandestine activities.

As Harry navigated the complexities of adolescence, he soon found himself turning to harder substances, including cocaine.

This shift came during a particularly turbulent time in his life, as he grappled with the profound loss of his mother, Princess Diana.

In his reflections, he described a moment at a country house where he was offered cocaine for the first time, expressing his desperation to alter his emotional state.

“I was a deeply unhappy 17-year-old boy willing to try almost anything that would alter the status quo,” he admitted.

Despite the temporary escape that drugs provided, Harry noted they didn’t bring him true happiness, highlighting the emptiness that accompanied his choices.

The pursuit of relief through substances became a recurring theme in his journey.

His revelations about drug use have now raised eyebrows regarding his U.S. visa application.

Since moving to the States with Meghan Markle in 2020, questions have emerged over whether he disclosed his history with drugs when applying for residency.

His candid admissions could potentially complicate his immigration status.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, is currently seeking access to Harry’s immigration records.

They argue that this situation raises significant concerns about whether celebrities receive preferential treatment in legal matters.

Their lawsuit aims to illuminate how the government processes visa applications for high-profile individuals.

When applying for a visa, all applicants must answer questions about previous drug use.

This standard procedure has sparked debate, particularly in light of Harry’s public confessions.

Did he fully disclose his past, or did he skate around the truth?

Prince Harry‘s scandals and struggles at Eton

When Prince Harry entered the gates of Eton College in 1998, he was following not just in his older brother William’s footsteps, but walking a path trodden by centuries of British elite.

Eton College, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, stands as one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world, having produced 19 British Prime Ministers and countless members of the aristocracy.

But Harry’s journey through these hallowed halls would prove to be far from straightforward.

Early Years and Entry (1998)

Prince Harry‘s entrance to Eton College marked a significant moment in both his life and the institution’s history.

At an annual cost of £42,501 ($55,355) per year, his education represented a substantial investment in his future.

The school, located just a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, provided a unique blend of traditional education and royal convenience.

Harry’s entry to Eton came at a particularly sensitive time, arriving just a year after the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana.

According to sources from the school, his academic capabilities were already a concern during the admission process.

One teacher reportedly told Sarah Forsyth, a former art teacher at Eton, that the entrance exam marker had been “desperate” to find points for which he could award marks to the young prince.

The transition to Eton presented immediate challenges for Harry. In his memoir “Spare,” he described his initial shock at the school’s unique terminology and customs.

The institution’s specialized vocabulary – where teachers were called “beaks,” classes were “divs,” and cigarettes were known as “tabbage” – represented just one aspect of the cultural adjustment required.

Despite his royal status, Harry was expected to adapt to Eton’s rigorous routines and traditions.

Like all new students, he had to learn to navigate the complex social hierarchy and institutional customs that had evolved over the school’s centuries-long history.

The prince was housed in Manor House, which would later become known informally as “the royal house” due to both William and Harry’s presence there.

The school made conscious efforts to treat Harry as normally as possible, though certain accommodations were necessary.

Unlike other students, he was accompanied by bodyguards, though they were instructed to maintain a discreet distance to allow him as normal an experience as possible.

Academic Performance and Struggles

Prince Harry’s academic journey at Eton was marked by significant challenges and controversy, culminating in what would become a highly publicized scandal surrounding his A-level art coursework.

The most notable controversy erupted when Sarah Forsyth, a former art teacher at Eton, made serious allegations about cheating during Harry’s AS-level art course.

In a dramatic employment tribunal where she claimed unfair dismissal, Forsyth revealed that she had been asked by the head of art, Ian Burke, to prepare text to accompany Harry’s artwork for his Expressive Project – a crucial component where students were required to explain their work and relate it to that of great artists.

“I was profoundly shocked,” Forsyth testified at the tribunal in Reading, Berkshire. “I was concerned that this was unethical and probably constituted cheating.”

She added, “I assumed I had been asked to do this because Prince Harry was a weak student.”

The scandal deepened when Forsyth revealed she had secretly recorded a conversation with Prince Harry himself.

The recording, which was played at the tribunal, allegedly captured Harry acknowledging he had written only “a tiny, tiny bit” of the coursework.

Specifically, he was heard saying: “It was a tiny, tiny bit. I did about a sentence of it.”

The situation became even more complex when it was revealed that some of Harry’s artwork had been featured in newspapers worldwide.

Forsyth claimed in her witness statement that Mr. Burke had finished off work for Harry which “featured in the newspapers.” This likely referred to photographs released to the media in June 2003 showing Harry with two of his screen prints inspired by Aboriginal designs and colors.

The controversy led to an investigation by the relevant exam board, though they ultimately found no evidence to support the cheating claims.

Nevertheless, the tribunal did accept that the prince had received help in preparing his A-level “expressive” project, which he needed to pass to secure his place at Sandhurst.

Academically, Harry’s final results at Eton were modest. He completed two A-Levels:

• Art: Grade B
• Geography: Grade D

These grades were just enough to meet the minimum requirements for entry into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he would later train as an officer.

The results reflected what many teachers had observed about Harry’s academic capabilities, with one former teacher noting that his weaknesses as a student were “well known at Eton.”

The academic struggles and subsequent controversy cast a shadow over Harry’s time at Eton, though the school and Clarence House consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The episode would later be described by the tribunal as reflective of broader issues with the school’s management, which was characterized as “prejudicial, unprofessional and high-handed” in its treatment of Ms. Forsyth, who was ultimately awarded £45,000 in damages.

Social Life and Integration

Prince Harry’s social experience at Eton presented a unique dichotomy – while the school made considerable efforts to treat him as a normal student, his royal status inevitably set him apart.

This dynamic shaped his entire experience at the institution. According to fellow students interviewed about their time with Harry, the school made a concerted effort to integrate him into normal school life.

“They made a big effort to seem like he was a normal person,” recalled one former student.

“Obviously he was from the royal family, but I think the school and all the people there wanted to make him feel included.”

Unlike his brother William, who was described as being “very integrated” and achieved the prestigious position of “Pop” (a member of Eton’s elite society of prefects who earned the right to wear distinctive waistcoats), Harry appeared to find it more challenging to find his place.

As one alumnus noted, “William was a Pop so he was like a homecoming-king type, but Harry wasn’t — I think Harry probably had it harder finding his way.”

The princes were generally known simply as “Wales” to their fellow students, a reflection of their father’s title at the time.

Despite their royal status, there was reportedly little fuss made about their presence.

The only official acknowledgment of their status appeared in the school’s “Fixtures” – a 300-page green booklet listing all students, where their names were preceded by “HRH” while other aristocratic students had “Mister” before their names.

Harry did manage to maintain a relatively normal social life within the constraints of his position.

He “used to go to people’s birthday parties” and would “go out with people in London and go to clubs.” His security detail would try to remain unobtrusive, “hanging in the background” to allow him as much normalcy as possible.

The house system at Eton played a crucial role in Harry’s social life. The school’s approximately 1,300 boys were divided into about 25 houses of 50 boys each.

Harry’s house became known informally as “the royal house” due to both princes’ presence there. As one former student explained, “You could almost see them [the houses] as different countries with different rulers.

The house master and the way they governed the house very much dictated the feeling in the house and the way the older years behaved towards the younger years.”
Occasionally, the royal connection would become more apparent, such as when Queen Elizabeth would visit the school.

As one student remembered: “Every now and again the queen would turn up for something, and we thought, Oh, the queen’s here, that’s pretty neat, we all got to stand and wave our little flags and shout three cheers for the queen.”

The presence of royal bodyguards, while necessary, did create some barriers. When Sarah Forsyth wanted to record her conversation with Harry, she noted that it was difficult to get him alone because “he was usually with his bodyguards.”

Sports and Activities

Prince Harry found his primary niche at Eton through sports, which became a defining aspect of his school experience.

In his memoir “Spare,” he explicitly stated: “Sport, I decided, would be my thing at Eton,” a decision that would shape much of his time at the school.

At Eton, sporting activities were traditionally divided into two distinct categories: “dry bobs” and “wet bobs.” This unique classification system separated students based on their chosen athletic pursuits:

• Dry bobs: Students who played cricket, football, rugby, or polo
• Wet bobs: Those who participated in rowing, sailing, or swimming

However, Harry characteristically chose to break from tradition, refusing to be constrained by these categorical divisions.

As he wrote in “Spare”: “I was a dry who occasionally got wet,” demonstrating his determination to chart his own course even within the school’s established systems. Rugby emerged as Harry’s true sporting passion.

He wrote with particular enthusiasm about the sport in his memoir: “I played every dry sport, though rugby captured my heart. Beautiful game, plus a good excuse to run into stuff very hard. Rugby let me indulge my rage. I simply didn’t feel pain the way other boys did, which made me scary on a pitch.”

Beyond traditional team sports, Harry also developed a particular affinity for golf.

While his classmates might skip classes for a cigarette, Harry admitted to different preferences: “If we were going to bunk off, I’d much prefer heading over to Windsor Castle golf course, knocking a ball around.”

This choice of activity highlighted both his privileged position – having access to the castle’s facilities – and his divergence from typical teenage rebellions.

The school also maintained some unique sporting traditions, including the ancient and peculiar “wall game.” This distinctive Eton sport was played on St. Andrew’s Day, with the College team facing off against the Oppidan team.

As described by one alumnus: “It’s played on a pitch about five yards wide, next to a wall, and essentially you just through sheer strength push yourself up to the end of the wall. There are rules, but not very many. It is actually quite miserable to play.”

The game was notably dangerous – historical records indicated that two people had died playing it, both drowning in the mud. Another unusual sporting tradition at Eton was the school’s maintenance of its own pack of hounds.

As one student explained: “A hundred years ago pretty much every secondary non-state school in England had its own pack of hounds. Hunting was just something you did in rural England, it was a way to get to know the countryside, sort of a cross-country running club with the addition of hounds.”

By the time Harry attended, Eton was one of only three schools that still maintained this tradition.

Through these various sporting activities, Harry found a way to channel his energy and establish his own identity within the school, separate from his academic struggles and his brother’s shadow.

Sports provided him with both an outlet for his physical energy and a means of social integration within the school community.

Disciplinary Issues

Prince Harry’s time at Eton was marked by several notable disciplinary incidents, particularly involving drug use, which would later generate significant media attention and shape his public image during his teenage years.

Perhaps most notably, Harry earned the nickname “Hash Harry” at Eton, as revealed by royal historian Robert Lacey in his 2020 book “Battle of Brothers.” The moniker reportedly originated from “the smoky aroma that often emanated from his room.”

In his memoir “Spare,” Harry was remarkably candid about his marijuana use at Eton, providing a detailed account of how he and his friends would organize their smoking sessions:

“I don’t remember how we got the stuff. One of my mates, I expect. Or maybe several. Whenever we found ourselves in possession, we’d commandeer a tiny upstairs bathroom, wherein we’d implement a surprisingly thoughtful, orderly assembly line.

“Smoker straddled the loo beside the window, second boy leaned against the basin, third and fourth boys sat in the empty bath, legs dangling over, waiting their turns.”

A significant incident occurred in 2001, when Harry was 17. He and his friends had established what became known as “Club H” at Highgrove (his father’s country residence), where they would hold parties.

The situation came to a head when “an aide recognized the unmistakable smell of marijuana emanating from Club H,” as reported in Katie Nicholl’s book “The New Royals.”
This discovery led to serious consequences.

King Charles (then Prince Charles) took decisive action by sending Harry to Featherstone Lodge Rehabilitation Centre in Peckham, albeit for just one day.

A senior official explained at the time: “We acknowledge that on several occasions last summer, Prince Harry experimented with cannabis. It is not that he had or has a serious problem, but he did take the drug.”

The situation led to Harry’s first rift with his brother William, as only Harry faced consequences despite William reportedly being present during some of these incidents.

The cannabis scandal was particularly concerning given Eton’s zero-tolerance drug policy. As Harry later revealed in court documents: “Eton had a zero drugs policy in place, and I was extremely worried I was going to be expelled.”

Harry later admitted in “Spare” that he progressed to using cocaine around this time: “At someone’s country house, during a shooting weekend, I’d been offered a line, and I’d done a few more since.

It wasn’t much fun, and it didn’t make me particularly happy, as it seemed to make everyone around me, but it did make me feel different, and that was the main goal.” He poignantly added: “I was a deeply unhappy 17-year-old boy willing to try almost anything that would alter the status quo.”

These disciplinary issues were exacerbated by what some saw as insufficient parental supervision.

According to Nicholl’s book, Charles was often unavailable when his sons needed him, and the boys “probably had too much independence.” A former aide noted that the princes often couldn’t reach their father when they needed him, as he didn’t carry a cell phone, forcing them to contact him through his protection officers.

Unique Aspects of Eton Life

Eton’s centuries-old traditions and customs created a unique environment that set it apart from any other educational institution, even by the standards of British public schools.

Dress Code

One of the most distinctive aspects of Eton life was its formal dress code, which Harry and all students had to adhere to daily.

As described by a former student: “Every day, we had to wear pinstripe trousers, black brogues, a black waistcoat, a black tailored coat, and a paper collar — so essentially, mourning dress.” This uniform tradition supposedly originated as mourning dress for King George III and had been maintained for over two centuries.

The school’s elite prefect group, known as “Pop,” had the unique privilege of designing their own waistcoats. While Prince William achieved this status, Harry did not.

As one alumnus explained: “If you were in Pop, which is essentially the prefects, you got to design your own waistcoats. Some were sort of geometric and artistic. Most people, if they were a big football fan, got like a retro Chelsea Kit or something.”

School Terminology

Eton maintained its own distinct vocabulary, which new students like Harry had to master quickly.

This “subterranean language,” as one former student called it, included terms such as:

• “Beaks” for teachers
• “Divs” for classes
• “Tabbage” for cigarettes
• “Chambers” for the 20-minute break after morning classes
• “Tap” for the school-run bar
• “The Slab” for a specific eating area

School Traditions

Among the most notable traditions was the “Paris challenge,” a clandestine adventure where students would attempt to reach Paris and return overnight without being detected.

Success required bringing back a croissant and French newspaper to read at breakfast. As one former student noted: “I know of one person who made it.”

The school also maintained several formal traditions, including the “4th of June” celebration, which was preceded by “prank night.” Students would engage in various mischief, including one memorable incident where “people would put salt in the grass and draw a big penis” timed so the image would appear in the grass weeks later during the celebration.

Until the 1970s, the school practiced “fagging,” where younger students served as servants for senior boys. While this practice had ended before Harry’s time, it illustrated the deep-rooted nature of the school’s traditions.

As one alumnus explained: “You can’t help but feel sorry for the one generation of boys who had to suffer the humility of being fags for the senior boys and never got their own back.”

The school’s proximity to Windsor Castle created unique royal connections. Students would occasionally witness the Queen’s visits, standing to “wave our little flags and shout three cheers for the queen.”

The school even maintained its own bar, “Tap,” where students over 16 could drink alcohol due to its status as a private institution, operating outside normal licensing laws.

These traditions and customs created an environment that was simultaneously privileged and peculiar, traditional and eccentric, forming the backdrop against which Harry’s teenage years would unfold.

Later Reflections

Prince Harry’s perspective on his Eton education has evolved significantly over the years, with his later reflections revealing a mix of gratitude and acknowledgment of taken-for-granted privilege.

In a particularly notable conversation with Malala Yousafzai in 2020, Harry openly admitted to not fully appreciating his expensive education during his time at the school.

“I wasn’t as grateful” for the schooling at the time, he confessed during their discussion about global education access.

The conversation, which took place alongside Meghan Markle to mark the International Day of the Girl, saw Harry acknowledge the immense privilege of his £42,501-per-year education.

“We do take it for granted, and it is a privilege,” Harry reflected. “But every single person, every single child, every single young person needs an education.”

He added with notable candor: “At the time I certainly probably wasn’t as grateful, but looking back at it now, I’m very, very blessed with having such an amazing opportunity.”

This sentiment was echoed by Malala herself, who humorously observed: “I think it takes boys slightly longer to understand how important education is, but they get there in the end.”

The evolution in Harry’s thinking about his education appears to have been influenced by his later life experiences and his marriage to Meghan Markle.

During the same conversation, Meghan emphasized the privileged nature of their educational backgrounds, stating: “Having the privilege to be able to go to school is something that I think oftentimes is taken for granted.

It’s very difficult for a lot of people to recognize that just the ability to have a school book is a luxury for so many people.”

His reflection on his Eton years has also been colored by the various controversies that occurred during his time there.

In his memoir “Spare,” Harry addressed some of the challenges he faced, including the academic struggles and behavioral issues that marked his time at the school.

These reflections came with a new level of maturity and understanding about how his privilege and position affected his educational experience.

The prince’s later life choices, including his military service and his work with various charitable organizations, suggest that his perspective on education and privilege has evolved significantly since his days as a student at Eton.

His willingness to acknowledge his past lack of appreciation for his educational opportunities demonstrates a level of self-awareness and personal growth that has become more apparent in his public statements in recent years.