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Prince Harry the wild child: a retrospective

By KATE STANTON, UPI.com
For the full photos, visit TMZ.com.
For the full photos, visit TMZ.com.

When TMZ published two photos of the naked prince, third in line to the throne, palace officials had to confirm that the 27-year-old had indeed been playing "strip billiards" with women in Las Vegas.

Though royal officials could only comment that "Prince Harry has been on a private holiday before he resumes his military duties," Queen Elizabeth and even Harry's brother, William, are fuming mad, and not for the first time.

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Clarence House, which handles PR for the Prince of Wales and his sons, has occasionally had to work overtime for the rambunctious, fun-loving, ginger-haired younger son of the Windsor clan. Here's a look back at his history of embarrassing the royal family.

2002: Harry spends exactly one day in rehab after smoking marijuana

Princes William and Harry in 2005.(UPI Photo/Hugo Philpott)
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British tabloid News of the World first broke the story of the Prince Harry's experimentation with marijuana in 2002. Harry, then 17 years old, had consumed alcohol and smoked pot at a pub and at his father's country home.

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"This was a serious matter which was resolved within the family and is now in the past and closed," spokespersons for the princes said in a statement.

Prince Charles sent his son to a rehab facility to speak to recovering addicts.

2004: Prince Harry reportedly cheats in art class

In 2004, rumors surfaced that Prince Harry's own teachers at posh prep school Eton College had helped the academically challenged student cheat in art class.

Teacher Sarah Forsyth told a tribunal that she had been fired after her employers forced her to write nearly all of the text on an art project.

Though the tribunal rejected Harry's cheating accusations and the prince adamantly denied the claims, they reversed Forsyth's dismissal and said she could return to Eton.

2004: Fisticuffs with a photographer

Prince Harry in 2009. (UPI Photo/Chris Hondros/Pool)
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After leaving a London nightclub in 2004, Harry "lunged for a photographer" after "something triggered him off" an eyewitness told People.

"Prince Harry was hit in the face by a camera as photographers crowded around him as he was getting into a car. In pushing the camera away, we understand that the photographer incurred a cut lip," Clarence House said at the time.

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2005: Prince Harry wears a swastika to a costume party

Question: What should you dress up as for your friend's costume party? Answer: Not a Nazi uniform.

A 20-year-old prince showed some seriously bad judgement, wearing a German army uniform and swastika armband to a "fancy dress" party in 2005.

British tabloid The Sun published photos of the scandalous event with a headline that read "Harry the Nazi," in all caps.

Ever the more restrained brother, Prince William wore an outfit depicting lions and leopards.

"I'm very sorry if I have caused any offense. It was a poor choice of costume, and I apologize," the prince said in a statement.

2009: Harry accused of insensitivity and racism again

"Completely unacceptable," said David Cameron in 2009, then-leader of Britain's Conservative party, of Prince Harry's usage of the word "Paki" in a three-year-old video filmed while the young cadet at Sandhurst military academy.

In the video, Harry refers to a fellow soldier as "our little Paki friend," answers questions about his "ginger pubes" and makes a fake phone call to Queen Elizabeth saying, "Send my love to the corgis. I've got to go, got to go, bye. God Save You . . . yeah, that's great."

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The royal response:

"Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause. However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon. There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."

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