Prince Harry draws raves during N.Y. visit

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NEW YORK, May 30 (UPI) -- Onlookers during a New York visit by Prince Harry said the British royal has become a respected celebrity despite previous missteps.

The New York Daily News reported Saturday while Harry has served as media fodder through questionable acts such as marijuana use or Nazi-themed costumes, the prince drew raves when he made his first-ever New York visit Friday.

Accountant Susan Docks, 58, applauded the visiting 24-year-old British royal for honoring the charitable efforts of his mother, the late Princess Diana.

"I respect how he's following in his mother's footsteps campaigning for issues like AIDS and poverty in Africa," Docks said. "He may have made some foolish choices in the past, but blame it on his youth."

Meanwhile, Capt. Ryan Miller, a 26-year-old soldier injured while serving in Iraq, praised Prince Harry for serving in Afghanistan as part of the British army despite his royal position.

"It was great to speak with someone who knows exactly what it's like," Miller told the Daily News. "Royal or not, he is one of us."