So what actually happened, and when?
    In brief, it all happened last summer.
    During the school holidays, Harry was at home at his family's country home, Highgrove House, in the west of England. Dad was often away on business, and William, Harry's elder brother, was away from home too. In short, Harry was "home alone", and like any teenager, he decided to let his hair down.
    He soon made friends with a group of young people living locally, joining them at the local pub; of course, being under 18, he was not really allowed to drink in a pub, and the landlord ought not to have sold him drink - but that is another story. Harry, nevertheless, became a regular drinker at the pub, often drinking more than he should.
    He then began inviting his new friends, most of them older than him, back to parties at home. Harry's parties must have been pretty good parties, as Harry had the whole of Highgrove House to himself (apart from the staff and the resident police)

But what about the pot?
    In fact, Harry did not smoke pot in the pub; he and his friends went out and smoked, where people could not see them, in a shed behind the pub. Similarly, at Highgrove House, Harry was not smoking in the house, but in the garden where noone could see him.
    However, as a royal prince, Harry does not enjoy the freedom and independence that other teenagers enjoy. There is always a bodyguard nearby, a policeman from the Royal Protection Unit. Naturally, before long Harry's bodyguards found out what was going on. And although they did not report him (they are his physical guardians, not his moral guardians), Harry's dad, Prince Charles, soon learned that Harry was smoking pot.
    Prince Charles decided to act firmly and immediately in the best way possible. He therefore sent Harry to spend a day at a detox clinic near London, to meet drug addicts whose lives had been ruined.
    Harry thus spent a day at the clinic, not as a patient but as an observer, talking to the patients, and hearing all about their stories. And most of them told him how they had started by smoking pot, then moved on to harder drugs.
    It was, for Harry, an eye-opening day; and since then, Harry has vowed not to touch drugs again, not even pot.
    In spite of the advantages, it's hard being a sixteen-year-old prince; Harry knows that. And now he also knows that if he got seriously into drugs, it would be even harder. 
 
 

Charles and Harry at Highgrove House, in 2000.

Photo: London Press Service
 
 

Prince Henry, always called Harry, was born on September 15th 1984. He is the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales; he is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth 2nd. As Charles's younger son, Harry is third in line of succession to the English throne.

At present he is a pupil at Eton College, Windsor, one of the oldest and most prestigious of England's "public schools".
 
 

Editorial note: A person who smokes pot is not normally called a "potter", but this pun (play on words) was too good to miss! A potter is usually a person who makes pots.

1. The press and the Royal Family have agreed that William and Harry ____________ be allowed to live a "normal" life

2. When the News of the World, a popular tabloid, learned about Harry's misbehaviour, they decided that the story _________ be published

3. Other TV stations said that Harry _______ to go to a detox clinic, because he was so addicted to drugs!

4. Harry was not really allowed to drink in a pub, and the landlord _________ not to have sold him drink 

5. Harry's parties ________ have been pretty good parties,

6. Harry and his friends went out and smoked, where people _________ not see them,

7. He also knows that if he got seriously into drugs, his life ________ become even harder.

Now put the right modal verb in these other sentences. In some cases, there is more than one correct possibility.

8. Your computer has a problem: you _______ to get it mended.

9. I can't find my pen; I ______ have left it at home.

10. If he worked harder, he ________ get better results.

11. You _________ work harder, if you want to get good results.

12. Yesterday the buses were not running, so he _______ to go to school on foot.

Pronunciation: 

Harry had the whole of Highgrove House to himself.

Make sure you can pronounce this sentence with all the "h"s, including the phonetic h at the start of whole
 

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In pairs, students should imagine the discussion that took place between Prince Charles and Harry, after Charles found out about Harry's drug-taking.

Here is a skeleton to help students get started: students should complete the dialogue using the prompts given.

Charles: Harry, I hear....

Harry: Yes, I ...

Charles: Don't you think that ....

Harry: Yes, I ...

Charles: What made you ....

Harry: I suppose that I .....

Charles: And what about the press?

Harry: I suppose ....

Charles. Of course, but .....

Harry: Well what are you....

Charles: I think .....

.....

.....

Text contraction:

Ask students to write a summary of this article in less than 100 words.

Expressions:
What do students think that these expressions mean?

Harry decided to let his hair down.

They are his physical guardians, not his moral guardians.

It was for Harry an eye-opening day.
 
 

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