A childhood friend of Prince William and Prince Harry has provided a rare glimpse into their early school days, describing life in the royal family as 'totally miserable' during their formative years.
The School Days of Future Kings
Humphrey Ker, now 43 and working as an executive director for Wrexham AFC, shared a dormitory with the future King at just seven years old at Ludgrove School. Their friendship continued when both moved to the prestigious Eton College in 1995, with Prince Harry joining a few years below them.
In a revealing interview with The Telegraph, Ker recalled a telling moment when young students were asked about their career aspirations. 'William announced his intentions to become a policeman', Ker remembered, prompting laughter from classmates who understood the prince's predetermined future.
The Gilded Cage of Royalty
Ker expressed particular sympathy for the young princes during what he described as a difficult period. 'It was during that period when Diana was front page news every single day', he explained. 'Everybody knew everything going on, and it just seemed totally miserable.'
The director didn't hesitate to characterise royal life as a 'gilded cage', adding: 'I just feel so sorry for them. It just looks miserable,' when reflecting on the constant public scrutiny and pressure facing the royal family.
Ker provided distinct character portraits of the two brothers during their school years. 'William was always very sweet and sensible', he noted. 'He just knew what his responsibilities were.' Harry, by contrast, was 'much more of a maniac: great fun but much more badly behaved'.
Diverging Paths and Unexpected Reunions
The friends eventually lost touch during their time at Eton and attended different universities - Ker went to Edinburgh while William chose St Andrews. However, they experienced an unexpected reunion last year when William visited Wrexham for St David's Day.
Their warm encounter included William asking if Ker still owned pugs, to which Ker replied he had one named Hilda. Showing the Prince of Wales a picture on his phone, Ker joked 'She's the queen', prompting laughter from William.
Ker's royal connections extended beyond his childhood friend when he met King Charles in 2023. The monarch even made a surprise appearance in the first episode of Welcome To Wrexham, where he delivered a clever reference to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia when speaking with the show's co-creator Rob McElhenney.
Reflecting on King Charles and Queen Camilla, Ker suggested they would be 'truly happy living quiet lives in Gloucestershire' with their dogs and running an eco-business, rather than undertaking royal duties.
The revelations come as William and Kate's children - Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven - now attend the £21,000-a-year Lambrook School in Berkshire, following in their father's footsteps of navigating royal childhood under public scrutiny.
