Journalists see a lot of things that, it’s safe to say ,famous people would probably rather they forget—especially famous people who have been well-known for their entire lives, like Prince Harry. But in her new memoir, Going There, which comes out later this month, Katie Couric apparently shows she’s willing to, well, go there. Specifically, she reportedly recalls meeting the Prince for a 2012 interview at the height of his, as she calls it, “wild-oat sowing phase.”
Couric is a veteran journalist of nearly 40 years, and so you know she’s seen some things. And her new memoir apparently dishes some no-holds-barred gossip on Martha Stewart, Diane Sawyer, and her Today Show co-hosts. But it’s the snippet about meeting a wild child Prince Harry that is catching people’s attention.
The interview took place at a polo match in Brazil in 2012, according to Newsweek, for a special that aired later to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Their chat was full of sweet moments—especially around Harry talking about his close relationship with his grandmother and how he “longed” to one day have children of his own (remember that this is at least four years before he met Meghan Markle).
But per the Daily Mail, Couric noted that the Prince was clearly in a partying phase. The publication quotes her book as saying the smell of cigarettes and alcohol seemed to “ooze out of every pore in his body.” This was just a few months before his infamous Las Vegas trip (remember when he was photographed playing naked pool at a party?)
For his part, Harry revisited the chaotic time in his late-20s during his Apple TV docuseries, The Me You Can’t See, saying, “I would find myself drinking not because I was enjoying it but because I was trying to mask something,” according to Newsweek.
See a clip from the Katie Couric interview with Prince Harry below:
Despite the darkness we now know was in his life at the time, Harry still gave such a sweet interview—and gotta love the part where he jokes that his grandmother hasn’t friended him on Facebook yet.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Going There comes out October 26, 2021. You can pre-order it here.
Marie Claire is committed to celebrating the richness and scope of women's lives. We're known for our award-winning features, thoughtful essays and op-eds, deep commitment to sustainable fashion, and buzzy interviews and reviews. Reaching millions of women every month, MarieClaire.com is an internationally-recognized destination for celebrity news, fashion trends, beauty recommendations, and renowned investigative packages.
-
Olivia Rodrigo Finds the Perfect Spring Dresses at Reformation
She's worn the brand twice in the past week.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Curiously, Just as Meghan Markle Sends Samples of Her New Strawberry Jam Out, the Buckingham Palace Shop Starts Promoting Its Own Strawberry Jam on Social Media
The clip promoting the Buckingham Palace Shop’s product—we cannot make this up—is set to Mozart’s “Dissonance Quartet.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Zendaya's Latest 'Challengers' Serve Is Nearly a Century Old
The 1930s-era dress may have been pulled months ago.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
“Extremely Disappointed” Prince Harry Might Be Forced to Miss Attending the 10-Year Celebration of the Invictus Games In Person Next Month
The event, scheduled for May 8 in London, would see Harry return to the U.K. to celebrate an organization so important to him.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Was "Furious and in Tears" Over Frogmore Eviction, Author Claims
It was a difficult time.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Will Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Appear in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Two New Netflix Series?
Filming for both shows—about polo and cookery—began this month.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Has Changed His Official Residence to the U.S.
Don't make it mean more than it does, k?
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Meghan Markle Thinks Prince Harry Is "Making a Big Mistake" in Wanting to Reach Out to William, Kate: Source
She's worried he'll get hurt again.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince Harry "Loves Being a Dad" to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, According to His Longtime Friend
Parenthood suits the Duke of Sussex.
By Meghan De Maria Published
-
King Charles “Desperately” Wants the Sussexes to Join Him at Balmoral This Summer
The castle in the Scottish Highlands, independent of a potential Sussex visit, is undergoing a major change starting this summer.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Officially Announce Two New Netflix Series, Both In the “Early Stages” of Production
One show focuses on one of Meghan’s primary hobbies, while the other goes behind the curtain of one of Harry’s foremost passions.
By Rachel Burchfield Published