It is the royal tour that has been the making of him.
In the space of ten days, Prince Harry has gone from a party-loving playboy to a fully paid-up member of The Firm.
But although describing his first tour on behalf of the Queen as ‘emotional’ and ‘amazing’, he stressed that his duties as an Apache helicopter pilot – which may see him deployed to Afghanistan later this year – come first.
Prince Harry seemed keen to make the most of his last day, sharing a kiss with Brazilian swimwear model Fernanda Motta and enjoying a game of polo, which his team won 6-3.
The prince also revealed that he had gone to Buckingham Palace for a heart-to-heart with the Queen before he left and said he hoped he had ‘done her proud’.
‘I had a half-hour conversation with her before we came out where she wished me luck.
‘We had a great chat, she said "enjoy it, I hope you do me proud" – it was a typical grandmother to grandson chat.’
He continued: ‘I tell you what, it’s been an emotional trip. I’m absolutely exhausted but the warmth of the reception that we’ve received from every single country that we’ve been to has been amazing.
‘I personally had no idea how much warmth there was towards the Queen – to me that’s been very humbling, and I was actually quite choked up seeing the way that they’re celebrating her 60 years.’
Typically, Harry has brought his own brand of joie de vivre to the tour by playing beach volleyball, taking part in a fun run wearing a mask of his brother, racing the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, and dancing in the streets in blue suede shoes.
The prince revealed that he believes he gets his sense of humour from his grandfather, Prince Philip.
He said: ‘She [the Queen] is very funny but I think she gets it from my grandfather. They are very funny together.
‘My family is the same as any other family when it comes to humour behind closed doors, though I’d like to think I was funnier than my grandmother.
‘I just hope that my grandmother is proud of what we’ve done. You can’t sit there with a stiff upper lip and not get involved.’
He added: ‘I’ve never taken myself too seriously. I’ve had a gas.’ The third in line to the throne was also particularly keen to discuss the Mail’s reports about the £115 Russell and Bromley suede desert boots he wore on the trip.
As well as the blue pair in which he danced with Bob Marley’s widow in Jamaica, he also showed off a brown pair.
Asked whether he now considered himself something of a style ambassador, Harry jokingly referred to the stylish Duchess of Cambridge, whom he touchingly called his ‘sister’.
‘I thought you were going to ask if she was giving me tips. She’s not giving me tips yet,’ he said.
But Harry was also at pains to stress that his ‘day job’ came first. He said: ‘I’m in a very privileged position, so I’ll use my title to help out where I can, but at the same time, we’ve both got our military careers, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.
‘I will help out with my grandmother whenever she needs me. The Jubilee is the Jubilee and family comes first.’
An aide said yesterday: ‘He has been overwhelmed by the response he has received and is touched beyond belief about how warmly he has been greeted. It has meant an awful lot to him.’
People from a number of different Commonwealth countries have signed up to part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June.
Organisers of the Big Jubilee Lunches, organised by the Eden Project charity, said that people from Malaysia, India, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand have signed up to join the festivities on Sunday June 3.
The project sees people getting together to share lunch with neighbours and friends in the form of a traditional street party or a picnic lunch in small or larger groups.
The Canadian High Commission is holding a Big Jubilee Lunch in Canada House on Trafalgar Square for Canadians who are living in the UK or just visiting London.
High Commissioner of Canada to the UK Gordon Campbell said: 'I’m very much looking forward to celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with fellow Canadians over a Big Jubilee Lunch in Canada House.
'Canadians have such a special relationship with the Royal Family, and Her Majesty in particular, and not just because we’re proud members of the Commonwealth, but because of the many ways the Queen and her family have touched our lives.'
In the space of ten days, Prince Harry has gone from a party-loving playboy to a fully paid-up member of The Firm.
But although describing his first tour on behalf of the Queen as ‘emotional’ and ‘amazing’, he stressed that his duties as an Apache helicopter pilot – which may see him deployed to Afghanistan later this year – come first.
In for the kill: Prince Harry kisses Brazillian model Fernand Motta at a polo event near São Paulo
The prince, 27, was speaking at a charity polo game on the final afternoon of a ten-day solo trip to mark his grandmother’s Diamond Jubilee, which has taken in Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica and, yesterday, Brazil. Prince Harry seemed keen to make the most of his last day, sharing a kiss with Brazilian swimwear model Fernanda Motta and enjoying a game of polo, which his team won 6-3.
The prince also revealed that he had gone to Buckingham Palace for a heart-to-heart with the Queen before he left and said he hoped he had ‘done her proud’.
Something catch your eye? Prince Harry tries not to get distracted
Lady in blue: Motta arrived at the Polo match on a horse and carriage
‘We had a great chat, she said "enjoy it, I hope you do me proud" – it was a typical grandmother to grandson chat.’
He continued: ‘I tell you what, it’s been an emotional trip. I’m absolutely exhausted but the warmth of the reception that we’ve received from every single country that we’ve been to has been amazing.
‘I personally had no idea how much warmth there was towards the Queen – to me that’s been very humbling, and I was actually quite choked up seeing the way that they’re celebrating her 60 years.’
Prince Harry, celebrating the win, gives the thumbs up after kissing the beauty
No wonder he's smiling: Prince Harry looks chuffed
Stunning: Fernand Motta, pictured here modelling, was greeted by royalty as she was embraced by Prince Harry after his polo match in São Paulo, Brazil
The prince revealed that he believes he gets his sense of humour from his grandfather, Prince Philip.
He said: ‘She [the Queen] is very funny but I think she gets it from my grandfather. They are very funny together.
Arriving in style: Harry in a horse-drawn carriage in Brazil this morning for a charity game
Grand entrance: Prince Harry arrives to play polo at a farm in Campinas with his entourage
‘I just hope that my grandmother is proud of what we’ve done. You can’t sit there with a stiff upper lip and not get involved.’
He added: ‘I’ve never taken myself too seriously. I’ve had a gas.’ The third in line to the throne was also particularly keen to discuss the Mail’s reports about the £115 Russell and Bromley suede desert boots he wore on the trip.
My ball: Prince Harry was in competitive spirit as he faced off against his Brazilian opposition
Triumph: Britain's Prince Harry ended up on the winning side as he rounded off his tour with a polo match
Asked whether he now considered himself something of a style ambassador, Harry jokingly referred to the stylish Duchess of Cambridge, whom he touchingly called his ‘sister’.
‘I thought you were going to ask if she was giving me tips. She’s not giving me tips yet,’ he said.
But Harry was also at pains to stress that his ‘day job’ came first. He said: ‘I’m in a very privileged position, so I’ll use my title to help out where I can, but at the same time, we’ve both got our military careers, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.
‘I will help out with my grandmother whenever she needs me. The Jubilee is the Jubilee and family comes first.’
An aide said yesterday: ‘He has been overwhelmed by the response he has received and is touched beyond belief about how warmly he has been greeted. It has meant an awful lot to him.’
Sporty: Prince Harry warms up before a charity polo match in Brazil as part of the Queen's jubilee celebrations
In action: Prince Harry on the polo field raising money for his charity Sentebale in Brazil
Organisers of the Big Jubilee Lunches, organised by the Eden Project charity, said that people from Malaysia, India, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand have signed up to join the festivities on Sunday June 3.
The project sees people getting together to share lunch with neighbours and friends in the form of a traditional street party or a picnic lunch in small or larger groups.
The Canadian High Commission is holding a Big Jubilee Lunch in Canada House on Trafalgar Square for Canadians who are living in the UK or just visiting London.
High Commissioner of Canada to the UK Gordon Campbell said: 'I’m very much looking forward to celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with fellow Canadians over a Big Jubilee Lunch in Canada House.
'Canadians have such a special relationship with the Royal Family, and Her Majesty in particular, and not just because we’re proud members of the Commonwealth, but because of the many ways the Queen and her family have touched our lives.'
Giving: Prince Harry spent one day in the favela Complexo do Alemao chatting and playing cricket with the children.Rio de Janeiro
Give us a song: Britain's Prince Harry was met by Brazilian singer Diogo Nogueira during a visit to the Complexo do Alemao
'A WEALTH OF DIVERSITY': QUEEN'S ADDRESS TO HER COMMONWEALTH
The Queen will today call for people who live in the Commonwealth to 'celebrate an extraordinary cultural tapestry' of the 'unique gathering of nations'.
In her annual Commonwealth Day message the monarch will describe how its 54 member nations - home to nearly two billion people - have a 'wealth of diversity'.
In her 2012 address, themed on 'connecting cultures', the Queen will describe how the Commonwealth provides a great 'understanding' for cultural differences.
The Queen’s pre-recorded words will form part of the annual Observance of Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey this afternoon attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex and a host of dignitaries.
She will say: 'This year, our Commonwealth focus seeks to explore how we can share and strengthen the bond of Commonwealth citizenship we already enjoy by using our cultural connections to help bring us even closer together, as family and friends across the globe.
'Connecting Cultures, our Commonwealth theme this year, encourages us to consider the special opportunities we have, as members of this unique gathering of nations, to celebrate an extraordinary cultural tapestry that reflects our many individual and collective identities.
'The Commonwealth treasures and respects this wealth of diversity.'
She will add: 'Our circumstances and surroundings may vary enormously, for example in the food we eat and the clothes we wear, but we share one humanity, and this draws us all together.
'The Commonwealth offers a pathway for this greater understanding and the opportunity to expand upon our shared experiences in a wider world.'
The Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, will also describe how technology breaks down cultural barriers.
She will say: 'One of the great benefits of today’s technology-based world is the range of opportunities it offers to understand and appreciate how others live: we can see, hear and enter into the experience of people in communities and circumstances far removed from our own.'
The Queen will also introduce a new song - titled Stronger As One - which was composed to complement the theme of her speech.
Commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma said in his Commonwealth Day message: 'This is our opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the Commonwealth and what this enrichment means to us as individuals.
'It is fitting, in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, to pay tribute to the unique contribution that Her Majesty has made to promoting understanding and to strengthening links in the Commonwealth.
'The Queen as the head of the Commonwealth is the symbol of our unity and free association with each other.
'Her Majesty’s belief in our shared values and collective identity continues to inspire rising generations to build for a secure future in which there is equity and freedom of opportunity
In her annual Commonwealth Day message the monarch will describe how its 54 member nations - home to nearly two billion people - have a 'wealth of diversity'.
In her 2012 address, themed on 'connecting cultures', the Queen will describe how the Commonwealth provides a great 'understanding' for cultural differences.
The Queen’s pre-recorded words will form part of the annual Observance of Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey this afternoon attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex and a host of dignitaries.
The Queen recorded her Commonwealth Day radio message, at Buckingham Palace last month before embarking on her Diamond Jubilee tour
'Connecting Cultures, our Commonwealth theme this year, encourages us to consider the special opportunities we have, as members of this unique gathering of nations, to celebrate an extraordinary cultural tapestry that reflects our many individual and collective identities.
'The Commonwealth treasures and respects this wealth of diversity.'
She will add: 'Our circumstances and surroundings may vary enormously, for example in the food we eat and the clothes we wear, but we share one humanity, and this draws us all together.
'The Commonwealth offers a pathway for this greater understanding and the opportunity to expand upon our shared experiences in a wider world.'
The Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth, will also describe how technology breaks down cultural barriers.
She will say: 'One of the great benefits of today’s technology-based world is the range of opportunities it offers to understand and appreciate how others live: we can see, hear and enter into the experience of people in communities and circumstances far removed from our own.'
The Queen will also introduce a new song - titled Stronger As One - which was composed to complement the theme of her speech.
Commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma said in his Commonwealth Day message: 'This is our opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the Commonwealth and what this enrichment means to us as individuals.
'It is fitting, in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year, to pay tribute to the unique contribution that Her Majesty has made to promoting understanding and to strengthening links in the Commonwealth.
'The Queen as the head of the Commonwealth is the symbol of our unity and free association with each other.
'Her Majesty’s belief in our shared values and collective identity continues to inspire rising generations to build for a secure future in which there is equity and freedom of opportunity
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