Britain's Prince Harry told a group of young kids at a correction center in South Africa that he always wanted to be the "bad boy."
Harry, who has been touring Lesotho and South Africa on behalf of the Queen, toured the Ottery Youth Center in Cape Town and told students he didn't like school and would have preferred a more down-to-earth school than Eton, the posh private school that educates princes and prime ministers, the best and brightest and the most privileged in British society.
"I didn't enjoy school at all," said Harry. "I would have liked to have come to a place like this. When I was at school, I wanted to be a bad boy."
Harry, the fifth-in-line to the British throne, visited the center, behind barbed wire, which counsels teenagers with troubled backgrounds referred by the courts. Many of the youths have been exposed to gang culture and had no idea who their visitor was.
When Harry asked if any of them knew who he was, many stared at the prince with blank faces, according to ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy who is traveling with Harry in Cape Town.
"My name is Prince Harry, the Queen of England's grandson, Princess Diana's son," he told the crowd. "I came all the way from England. I want to hear all your stories."
The 31-year-old encouraged the kids to turn away from the lure of gang culture and spoke of the importance of trusting role models.
And without missing a beat, he told the crowd, "If you've got an older brother that's not into gangs, that's a huge positive. Older brothers are supposedly the cool ones."
Prince Harry then used the opportunity to joke about his relationship with Prince William.
"I'm a younger brother but I'm much cooler than my older brother," Harry said.
The head of the program laughed at Harry's remark, promising Harry they wouldn't tell Prince William. Harry joked right back, saying it was okay because, "He knows it."
Harry also visited a woodwork shop at the center where he was presented with a wooden frame showing a photo of Princess Diana hugging Harry as a young child.
Prince Harry, who is often compared to his late mother for his uncanny ability to connect with people from all walks of society, also took time out to see one of the poorest townships in Cape Town.
Harry went to Khayelitsha, where most of the residents still live in shacks. It is the second poorest area of South Africa, with crime averaging one murder per day and gave Harry an opportunity to see how many Capetonians still live.
One four-year-old girl was so taken by the prince she cried her eyes out when he left.
Harry also paid a visit to South African Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The 83-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been battling prostate cancer, was presented by Prince Harry with the Order of the Companion of Honour on behalf of the Queen The medal is presented to individuals who distinguish themselves in service to arts culture and religion.
"I am very touched by your commitment to Lesotho. I taught at the university there and became Bishop of Lesotho," Archbishop Tutu said. "It has always had a very soft spot in our hearts, just wonderful that you and the English are helping. Thank you very much"
ABc news
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