Condolences to Prince Harry's friends Davina and Astrid Harbord

The father of two of Prince Harry's close friends has committed suicide, sending the young prince reeling. According to the Daily Mail, Charles Harbord, the father of Davina and Astrid Harbord, took his own life last week due to depression and financial difficulties.

I would like to extend my condolences to you, Davina and Astrid. I pray that the Lord will comfort and heal you and your family at this difficult time.

Four reasons why Prince Harry shouldn't follow India Hicks' advice

Prince Harry is being encouraged to be wild and promiscuous by his father's goddaughter. In a recent interview with Now Magazine UK, designer (and distant Windsor relative) India Hicks states that Harry should play the field and sow his wild oats before he marries.

However, I believe this is bad advice for the following reasons:

1. Fornication is a sin against our own bodies, one that we are told to unequivocally flee from (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
2. Promiscuous people have bad reputations. Amongst England's set, Harry's (alleged) promiscuity has earned him a bad rap.
3. This is just a propagation of the old (well, not so-old) misogynistic beliefs that : (a) royal men should sow their wild oats before marrying, and conversely (b) royal brides must remain virgins until marriage. Using this logic, how is Harry supposed to find a suitable wife if he's slept with women all over the place?
4. Harry's partying elicits a negative reaction by some people towards the British monarchy (and the associated taxpayer costs), undoing the Queen's efforts to restore the British royal family's prestige and reputation.

If India's advice sounds familiar, you are not mistaken: her grandfather, Lord Mountbatten (Prince Charles' "honorary grandfather"), also told Charles to have as many affairs as possible, then marry a virgin. Well, we all know how that turned out...

How to marry Prince Harry

Over the past week, this blog received several traffic hits from the Google search keyword "how to marry Prince Harry." I found this interesting, and decided to briefly list how one goes about marrying Prince Harry:


1. Run in the same social circles as Harry. This makes it more likely for you and Harry to cross paths, and provides a more conducive environment for a meaningful romantic connection. The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Prince William (among other royals) met their future spouses either directly, through mutual friends, or other social contacts.


2. Once the romance blossoms, you must conquer tricky Royal rituals, a prying Press, and other obstacles. The most important thing, however, is to be discreet.


3. Harry eventually proposes to you.


4. You get married! Congratulations! However, the hardest part of being with Harry still lies ahead for you. However, possessing certain qualities will make the path easier to travel.

Prince Charles: The Kissing Prince

Hand-kissing is a dying art form. However, based on these photos, Prince Charles is doing his best to keep the chivalrous social gesture alive and well.

Charles kisses Diana’s hand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day.

Charles smooches Diana’s hand as they pose for the press during their honeymoon at Balmoral Castle. According to several sources, the photo session almost didn’t happen: Charles and Diana had a blazing argument right before, and Diana initially refused to take part.

Charles and Diana are affectionate as they watch the 1982 Braemar Games in Scotland.

Charles welcomes Carla Bruni to the U.K. during a 2008 state visit by then French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Prince Charles greets Princess Letizia at the start of a 2011 royal trip to Spain (top), and at a banquet dinner during the visit (bottom).

Prince Charles greets Crown Princess Mary of Denmark during a royal tour of Denmark.

Prince Charles and the Queen

Princess Charlene of Monaco: A royal prisoner

Monaco's Princess Charlene is stressed by her failure to give Prince Albert a legitimate heir and an escape route out their marriage, according to the Daily Mail. The article, citing a report in France's Voici magazine, alleges that Charlene was persuaded to marry Albert after an agreement was reached: once she gave birth to a legitimate heir (and stayed in the marriage for an acceptable length of time), she would be free to divorce him. However, her attempts to get pregnant have failed so far, making her depressed and more desperate than ever to escape her sham marriage.

If this is indeed true, it is a shocking and tragic outcome for all involved. In the 21st century, love and respect should be the most important considerations in any marriage (royal or not), not dynastic intentions. The implosion of Charles' and Diana's marriage made this abundantly clear. Are the public limelight and a luxurious lifestyle (complete with a king's ransom in jewels) worth happiness, contentment, and peace of mind? A thousand times, no!

Charlene, my advice to you is to leave now before it gets any worse. Stop being a victim. Stop enabling a dysfunctional system where women are seen as nothing else than breeding machines who must stoically look the other way when their husbands cheat. Life is too short to be living with a choice that you regret everyday. When you were coaxed into returning to Monaco, you went against your instincts. Don't do it again. We all know that Albert is a cad who will never change his stripes. Leaving now will not make you stupid or a failure. Quite the opposite, in fact. We will applaud you for finally standing up for yourself and saying "enough is enough."

But until that day, Charlene my dear, stay strong. Surround yourself with a support network focused on your well-being and your best interests. Pray for guidance as you chart a course in unknown waters. Above all else, listen to the voice inside you and stay true to yourself. You've already made an terrible mistake by marrying a man who doesn't love you. Don't stay and compound the tragedy.