Prince Harry lookalike says royal's 'kill count' disclosure during army service has put his life in danger
A Prince Harry lookalike has revealed he is worried for both his and the Duke of Sussex’s safely after Harry revealed his Taliban “kill count” in his new memoir, Spare.
Rhys Whittock, 39, has worked as a Prince Harry impersonator since 2017, but says he has been forced to disguise himself after the information from Harry’s book was published.
“I started to feel uneasy when I heard that Harry was talking about his time in the army,” Whittock explains.
“My mum texted me and it left me with goosebumps. It just said: ‘Because of Harry’s admission in the army he is now a target. You need to wear glasses in public.’”
Whittock says he gets mistaken for the royal “every single day” and that, as a lookalike, he gets worried when Harry “faces a sudden increase in security threats”.
“Experts agree it was a mistake to release this information. He has put himself and family at extra unnecessary risk,” Whittock continues.
“I think his memoir should have been run past British security first. It’s quite bizarre that it never had been, as he will require extra security in future in the UK – at the coronation this year, for example.”
Read more: Prince Harry's dating history as he reveals mystery 'older woman' took his virginity
Whittock says because he is not surrounded by an “entourage of security” that it should be clear to other people that he is not the prince.
“I haven’t been offered any security before for jobs that I carry out but I would be very hesitant to do one in the current climate without security for fear of being mistaken for the real Prince Harry,” he adds.
“Normally it's quite nice to run into people who think I'm Harry, but I've made sure I've kept my hat on over the last few days.”
Despite this, Whittock says he is still being booked for regular work and often appears alongside a Meghan Markle lookalike to re-enact moments such as the Oprah Winfrey interview.
Whittock adds that he’s seen public opinion towards Harry shift since he began his lookalike career almost six years ago.
Read more: From Prince Harry's book to King Charles' coronation, this year's big royal events
“When I started this lookalike career, Prince Harry was universally loved and frequently noted as the nation’s second favourite royal, behind our much-loved Queen,” Whittock continues.
“He had a wicked sense of humour, seemed to have a great human touch with people – like his mother Diana – and a very good relationship with not only his brother William, but also with Catherine.
“They always appeared very close at public engagements so it’s been very sad to witness these previous close family relationships break down and in a very public fashion.”
Additional reporting by Caters News Agency.
Watch: Prince Harry and Tom Hanks perform skit on The Late Show
