‘Sad’ moment Prince Harry said ‘I’m not allowed’ due to royal rule during darts visit

Harry left Barry Hearn feeling uneasy during his visit to Alexandra Palace

Prince Harry went to watch the darts at Alexandra Palace in 2014 (Image: Getty)
Barry Hearn has revealed that he felt “quite sorry” for Prince Harry when the Duke of Sussex came to Alexandra Palace to watch the darts. Harry, 40, is known for his love of sports, being an avid polo player and rugby supporter, but few would’ve expected him to make an appearance at the World Darts Championship back in 2014.

Recalling the evening on The Barry Hearn Show, the ex-PDC chief remembered how the crowd began chanting the Prince’s name when he was shown on the big screen, leading to an uncomfortable reaction. “He’d just come out of the army, and he’s obviously on a bit of a bender, I think,” Hearn said.

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“So he was having a proper night out with his mates, having a few pints, enjoying himself. And the crowd started chanting: ‘Harry, Harry, give us a wave’.

“And he looked at me and I saw a bit of inquisitiveness in his face – as if to say, ‘What do I do?’ I looked at him and said, ‘If you stand up now and you wave back to these people, your street credibility is assured for life because you’ve identified with the normal man, the people that form the majority of this country’.

“They proceeded to consume dozens of pints of lager and merged in with the crowd rather well. Harry was like any ordinary bloke on a night out with his mates,” Hearn wrote.

“Eddie and I joined them on a table of six and it was clear they were on a bender. I reckon 60 pints of lager went down and I didn’t have much of it.”

Prince Harry watching the darts at Alexandra Palace in 2014 (Image: Getty )
He continued: “At the end, Harry said they were off to a nightclub and would we like to come? ‘Not us,’ I said. ‘You guys are too dangerous’.”

Hearn Sr, who took over as chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in 2001, played a pivotal role in elevating the company to the pinnacle of darts governance and was instrumental in driving the sport into the mainstream of British culture, sparking an unprecedented financial surge. In 2021 he stepped down, handing over control of the organisation to his son, Eddie.