Prince Harry's School Visit Branded a 'Mess' as 'Disheveled and Tired' Duke Fails to Impress Students
Prince Harry was called out for appearing 'shabby' and 'lost' at a school visit.
Oct. 1 2026, Published 2:04 p.m. ET
Prince Harry's awkward STEM school visit was torn apart by a top royal editor and biographer who criticized the Duke of Sussex's appearance, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 42-year-old prince appeared to be openly ignored by students at Birmingham's Ninestiles Academy, and one teen openly complained the ex-royal could "f--- off."
The Kids Were 'Distinctly Unimpressed' With Prince Harry
The tie-wearing student openly complained about having 'six cameras in my face' during Harry's school visit.
Video of the student complaining about having "six cameras in my face" quickly went viral, along with another clip showing Harry trying to engage with a girl who turned away.
Royal biographer Robert Jobson, a 35-year veteran of covering the royal family, said he was both fascinated and horrified by the awkward scenes.
“I watched the video intently, and people that were there I've spoken to said the whole thing was very odd, very odd. And the kids were just distinctly unimpressed. But he looked a bit shabby too. I mean, he looked disheveled, actually, and slightly tired and a little bit lost,” Jobson said on the Tuesday, September 29, episode of The Royalist podcast.
'Shabby' Prince Harry Showed 'No Star Quality'
Prince Harry wore a casual look during his STEM school visit.
Harry was at the school to drum up excitement for INSPIRE, a free education program tied to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, but his attempt to win over the students appeared to fall flat.
The duke sported a very casual look in a slightly faded black golf shirt and black jeans.
"There was nothing star quality about that school visit. It was all very shabby," Jobson said, claiming Harry has lost the royal fairy dust that once surrounded him and looked a far cry from the polished, put-together working royal he once was.
How Prince Harry Could Have Benefited From Meghan Markle
Robert Johnson gave credit to Meghan Markle, who knows 'how to perform' for cameras.
Jobson pointed out that Harry's lackluster energy and inability to connect with the kids might have benefited from having his former actress wife, Meghan Markle, by his side, especially given her knack for turning on the charm when the cameras start rolling.
"He looked a little lost. He looked like he could do, actually, with someone like Meghan there, who love her or loathe her, does know how to perform," The Windsor Legacy auther claimed, adding that Harry "looked like he was tired and didn't really want to be there."
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Prince Harry's Criticized for Allegedly Using Students as 'Props'
Prince Harry was accused of using the students as 'props' while protecting his own children's privacy.
Jobson said colleagues who witnessed the appearance firsthand described it as a total "mess."
The King Charles: The Man, the Monarch, and the Future of Britain author added that he was told Liam Maguire, the Sussexes' chief of communications, was there and "didn't look very happy about the whole thing."
"I'm not surprised," he added. "It looked a mess, and people that were there said it was a mess."
Harry was later blasted by critics for allegedly using the students as "props" and seemingly making them uncomfortable with his presence.
The prince was also accused of a double standard for putting other people's children in front of the cameras while he and Markle fiercely guard the privacy of their own kids, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, and have chosen not to share their faces publicly.
