Prince Harry duped by ‘Greta Thunberg' hoax in embarrassing royal prank call scandal
It's one thing to fall for a prank call — it's another for it to make international headlines.
Prince Harry, raised in the spotlight with royal training, was left red-faced after being tricked into a revealing phone conversation with Russian pranksters posing as Swedish climate and political activist Greta Thunberg.
The hoax calls took place on New Year's Eve and again on January 22, 2020, just shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's dramatic exit from royal duties.
Prince Harry was under the impression he was speaking with Ms Thunberg and her father, Svante Thunberg, as he openly shared his views on everything from climate change to his family's royal fallout, according to the Daily Mail.
Prince Harry was completely unaware that the voices on the other end of the phone belonged to Russian prank duo Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov.
The pair, known for similar stunts involving high-profile figures including Elton John and Bernie Sanders, later animated the calls and posted them on YouTube. The calls were made to Harry's landline in Vancouver, Canada, bypassing Buckingham Palace's security protocols.
In one awkward exchange, 'Greta' claimed she was trying to rescue 50 penguins from Belarus customs. Prince Harry offered to help, responding: 'I do have a man who deals with the North Pole' — seemingly unaware that penguins live in the South Pole.
The prankster did not stop at environmental jokes.
Prince Harry was coaxed into condemning US President Donald Trump, claiming he had 'blood on his hands' over his climate policies. He also urged 'Greta' to seek meetings with Trump and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whom he called 'a good man' capable of being persuaded.
When asked about Prince Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Harry distanced himself diplomatically: 'Whatever he has done or hasn't done is completely separate from me and my wife. We operate in a way of inclusivity and focus on community.'
Biographer Robert Lacey, who detailed the calls in his book Battle of the Brothers, said Prince Harry had been 'coaxed into embarrassingly frank disclosures' and criticised the Sussexes' lack of security vetting after leaving the royal system.
'The hoaxers would never have got through Buckingham Palace's switchboard,' Mr Lacey noted.
Despite the fallout, Mr Lacey wrote that Prince Harry 'emerged with a certain amount of credit' for speaking from the heart. During the calls, Prince Harry said his military service had made him 'more normal than my family would like to believe' and reflected on his and Meghan's decision to step back from royal life.
'Marrying a prince or princess isn't all it's made up to be,' he said.
'Our new life is much better.'
Prince Harry also took the opportunity to lash the press, blaming UK tabloids for what he saw as a campaign to destroy him and Meghan.
'They're scared because we are some of the first people willing to stand up to their bullying,' he said.
The scandal was quickly overshadowed by the outbreak of COVID-19, but its legacy lingered.
Prince Harry's wariness of the media deepened, and the incident reportedly shaped the couple's ongoing push for tighter personal security.
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