A Prince Harry lookalike says his doppelganger’s decision to up sticks and move to north America has left him unable to find work.
Mechanic Henry Morely, 31, used to earn £2,500 a week moonlighting as the prince in the nightclubs and private parties of northern England.
But his lucrative side hustle is in ruins after Harry and his wife Meghan decided to step back from Royal life earlier this year.
Henry says interest in Harry lookalikes has plummeted as the public think the pair have abandoned the country.
Now the garage owner, who has been told by revellers on nights out that he’s Harry’s mirror image for over a decade, is praying Harry patches up his public image in Britain or fears his own career as a lookalike may be gone for good.
Henry, of Malton, North Yorkshire, said: ‘Since Harry and Meghan left the UK, I’ve not had a single booking.
‘A lot of businesses don’t want to use Harry and Meghan to promote themselves because they think they’ve abandoned their country.
‘I think whether business picks up again will depend on what Harry and Meghan do with their careers.
‘If he’s going to stay out of the public eye then that’s my career over.
‘I'm hoping he and Meghan might become stars in their own right in America, but more like Hollywood celebrities rather than royals.’
Henry says the most lucrative time in his career was around the Royal wedding in 2018 when he was paid up to £1,500 per appearance to pretend he was the prince.
He’s even been dubbed the ‘Prince Harry of the north’ after years of guest appearances.
Strangers only began commenting on Henry’s uncanny resemblance to the prince when he hit 18.
And while his fiancé of four years, nurse Emma Young, 27, is jealous of the attention he gets from passers-by who stop him for photos in the street, Henry says he no longer notices people staring at him.
Henry said: ‘I’m Prince Harry of the north. I don’t get many comments when I’m in overalls at the garage, but when I go out in York wearing a shirt someone will always come up to me and say “has anyone ever told you that you look like Prince Harry?”
‘My girlfriend gets a bit jealous because people in the street always want a picture with me but not with her and she says people are looking at me when I go down the street
‘To be honest I don’t even notice anymore, I’ve been told I look like him since I was 18.’
Henry admits his princely façade is broken the second he opens his mouth and reveals his strong Yorkshire accent.
He has appeared with over ten different Meghan lookalikes since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex first met four years ago.
And during Harry’s younger days, Henry was paid to party at nightclubs across the UK pretending to be him. He came close to meeting his likeness at Secret Garden Party in 2014 when the prince was rumoured to be there.
He said: ‘It’s a lot more fun being a Harry lookalike than a William one. Harry has a different image so you’re not having to wear suits all the time
‘I like doing all events but meet and greets can be challenging because people expect you to be the real person and you’re not. Other than saying “hello do you want a picture?” you can’t do anything else.’
0 Comments