Prince Harry Smelled of Cigarettes and Alcohol Prior to Meghan Markle Romance, Katie Couric Alleges

After decades serving as a newscaster, Katie Couric has some tea to spill — and one of her victims in her new memoir is Prince Harry.

In her book, Going There, the television journalist states that the Duke of Sussex reeked of cigarettes and alcohol when they met in 2012. According to the DailyMail, who received a manuscript for the book prior to its release in late October, Katie reveals that the smell of cigarettes and booze seemed to “ooze from every pore” of the then 27-year-old’s body. 

At the time, the TV host was filming an ABC special on Queen Elizbeth II’s diamond jubilee, a celebration of the Queen’s 60 years on the throne. Katie had traveled to Belize to discuss Harry’s grandmother. During the interview, Harry discussed how the Queen moved with the times by starting a YouTube channel, his brother, Prince William’s recent wedding with Kate Middleton and of missing his mother, Princess Diana, who tragically died when Harry was just 12 years old.

In the book, Katie stated the meeting occurred during Harry’s “wild-oats sowing phase,” four years before going on a blind date with his now-wife, Meghan Markle. Two months after his interview with Katie, Prince Harry visited Las Vegas. The infamous trip led to him being photographed naked while playing “strip billiards” in his hotel room. The trip occurred weeks before he was sent on a 20-week deployment in Afghanistan, serving as a helicopter co-pilot and gunner.

Prince Harry’s team did not respond to In Touch‘s request for a comment.

During the Duke’s The Me You Can’t See: A Path Forward special, released on May 28, the prince revealed that he took drugs, drank heavily and had severe anxiety and panic attacks while struggling with royal life during his late 20s and early 30s. 

“28 to probably 32 was a nightmare time in my life,” he revealed during the interview. 

During the interview in 2012, Harry was in the middle of a royal tour visiting Brazil, Belize and the Bahamas, and he admitted the trip was lonely.  

“I’ve always said that it’d probably be easier as a, as a couple,” Harry said at the time. “I don’t have anyone. I wasn’t allowed to bring anybody with me.”

“I’ve longed for kids since I was very, very young,” Harry added. “And so I’m just, I’m waiting to find the right person, someone who’s willing to take on the job.”

Harry married Meghan, who urged the prince to receive therapy for grief and anger, in 2018. The pair have since left royal life at the end of March 2020 and relocated to California. The couple are parents to Archie, 2, and Lilibet Diana, 3 months.