Prince Harry's shameless celebrity name-drops - and encounters which aren't true
Prince Harry has been very busy this week - picking up all the names he dropped in his new book.
The Duke of Sussex is well-known for being a friend to the stars, but now he has spilled the beans on a large number of his celebrity encounters.
In his highly-anticipated autobiography Spare, Harry reveals details of encounters with singing sensations, Hollywood actors and sporting heroes.
Sometimes the name-drops seem appropriate, but often they seem to be thrown in at any given opportunity.
From Rihanna to the Spice Girls, here is a look at all of Harry's celebrity mentions in Spare.
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Rihanna
Prince Harry and Rihanna in Barbados (PA)At the start of one section of the book, Harry drops in that he was getting an HIV test at a drop-in clinic in Barbados with none other than pop sensation Rihanna.
They were both there to encourage people to get tested for HIV ahead of World AIDS day - and the Prince had asked the Umbrella singer to help out last minute in November 2016.
To his surprise, Rihanna was keen, but his mind was elsewhere as he was distracted by then-girlfriend Meghan Markle.
Harry writes: "I turned to Rihanna and we chatted while I awaited the result. Negative. Now I just wanted to run, find somewhere with Wi-Fi, check on Meg."
Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox pops up in the book (Getty)No one expected Harry to reveal details of a mushroom trip at Courteney Cox's house.
But that's exactly what the prince claims happened when they hung out together, which was very exciting for the big Friends fan.
Harry, who says he watched all of the Friends episodes in 2013, ended up crashing at the actress' house while she was travelling.
The thought of "crashing at Monica's house" was very exciting for the Friends fanatic, but then she ended up arriving out of nowhere.
Harry goes on to admit he had quite the crush on Cox - and even compared them to on-screen lovers Monica and Chandler.
He writes: "She was Monica. And I was a Chandler. I wondered if I'd ever work up the courage to tell her. Was there enough tequila in California to get me that brave?"
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Things then took quite the twist as Harry reveals he ate some black diamond magic mushroom chocolates and washed them down with tequila.
Then the silver bin in the toilet started staring at him and had a huge grin.
Tom Hardy
Prince Harry borrowed the actual Max Mad costume from Tom Hardy (NETFLIX)Hollywood star Tom Hardy attended Harry and Meghan's wedding, having appeared with the Princes in a deleted scene from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Hardy told Esquire that he kept the friendship on the down low, saying that it was a matter that was "deeply private".
In Spare, Harry recalls how he text Tom asking if he could borrow the actual costume he used in the Mad Max film for a Halloween party with an Apocalypse theme.
According to Harry, the actor questioned whether he wanted the whole thing and then duly obliged.
Everyone at the party loved his outfit and he wished he could have kept it permanently so no one would recognise him.
The Spice Girls
Prince Harry with (left to right) Scary Spice, Baby Spice and Posh Spice (PA)Harry spiced up his life in 1997 when he got the chance to hang out with the Spice Girls.
During a trip to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandella, the young royal also got to see the pop sensations perform at a big concert in Johannesburg.
It was the 13-year-old's first public appearance since the death of his mother, Princess Diana, which he claims was used as good PR for his father.
Harry remembers wishing he was in bed at St. James' Palace while he was on the red carpet, then he spotted Emma Bunton in 12-inch platform heels.
He writes: "I fixated on those heels while she fixated on my cheeks. She kept pinching them. So chubby! So cute! Then Posh Spice surged forward and clutched my hand."
He also says he felt a special connection with Geri Horner because she was a "fellow ginger".
Audio book listeners have been delighted by listening to Harry say the lyrics: "If you want my future, forget my past/ If you wanna get with me, better make it fast".
Caroline Flack
Harry writes about Caroline in Spare (Getty Images)Harry speaks about his short-lived romance with Caroline Flack, who tragically passed away in February 2020.
He recalls first meeting the former Love Island host at a restaurant during a night out with a mutual friend in 2009, months after splitting from long-term ex Chelsy Davy.
The Duke says Caroline 'wasn't taken aback that I didn't recognise her', before heaping praise on the presenter, describing her as 'funny, sweet and cool' after their initial encounter.
Harry says the pair continued to date despite the attention on their new romance but for him the relationship was 'tainted' and they both decided it wasn't worth the 'grief'.
Harry then reveals their parting words to each other were 'goodbye and good luck.'
Later in his book, Harry speaks about first hearing the 'horrible truth' that Caroline had died after taking her own life and feeling 'so awful' for her family.
This hasn't gone down well with Caroline's former agent, who branded Harry 'gross' and accused him of using his past relationship to help sell his book.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz was not dating Harry (Simon Mein/Sony/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)One Hollywood star who has been linked to Harry is Cameron Diaz.
But the royal claims the rumours that he was dating the Charlie's Angel actress were not true.
Harry says they dredged up every relationship he'd ever had and did a deep dive into his love life.
This included one which detailed his supposed flirtation with Cameron Diaz. 'Harry just couldn't see himself with her', the author reported.
Harry writes: "Indeed, I couldn't, since we'd never met. I was never within 50 metres of Ms Diaz, further proof that if you like reading pure b******s then royal biographies are just your thing."
Elton John
Elton John gets mentioned in the book (Getty Images for EJAF)Sir Elton John gets a very chunky section in Spare - but no word of thanks in the acknowledgements.
The Rocket Man singer has remained close with both of Princess Diana's sons since her death and sang a special rendition of Candle in the Wind at her funeral in 1997.
Elton performed at the Sussexes wedding reception in 2018, and in their Netflix docuseries, Meghan revealed Archie's favourite song is Bennie And The Jets.
The former Watford FC owner is mentioned a number of times in the book, with Harry revealing he asked Elton to sing Candle in the Wind for the anniversary of his mother's death.
But the Grammy Award winner refused, claiming it would be too "macabre" to celebrate Diana's life and achievements.
The most dramatic part comes where Harry relives a clash he had with Elton while staying at his holiday home in France along with Meghan.
Harry said he was congratulating Elton on finishing his memoir but the atmosphere soured when the Tiny Dancer singer revealed it was going to be serialised in the Daily Mail.
The Duke asked Elton why he had chosen the newspaper which had "made your life miserable", to which he replied that he wanted people to read it.
Harry said he decided not to push back too hard because he didn't want to spoil the holiday.
Christina Aguilera
Harry thought he was going to meet Christina Aguilera (PA)Harry is always having celebrity interactions at house parties, but this time he got in a bit of a muddle and didn't meet who he expected.
While tucking into more tequila and more mushrooms, Harry got handed a joint and then got a tap on the shoulder.
The person said they wanted him to meet Christina Aguilera and he said: "Oh, hello, Christina."
But he had misheard, as it was actually one of the men who co-wrote Genie in a Bottle.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams with pal Meghan and daughter Olympia (Serena Williams/Instagram)Meghan is a very close friend of Serena Williams and has frequently been spotted watching the tennis ace play.
Before the troubled times, Kate and Meghan were snapped watching the American at Centre Court at Wimbledon.
Serena, who attended the Sussexes wedding with husband Alexis Ohanian in 2018, does get a cheeky mention in Spare.
After their first date, Harry and Meghan organised to meet up at exactly the same place the following day.
Harry explains that Meghan spent the whole day at Wimbledon "cheering on her friend Serena Williams from Serena's box" and texted him after the final set to say she was rushing to see him.
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry was in the Netflix docuseries as well (Netflix)American actor and movie director Tyler Perry is heavily featured in Spare - as he is credited with saving Harry and Meghan.
When they fled Canada in March 2020, Tyler allowed the Sussexes to stay in his California mansion while they found their own place to stay.
In the book, Harry recalls how he and Meghan loved Tyler's house describing it as 'Xanadu'.
But with security concerns on his mind, he also details how when everybody had gone to sleep, he would find himself walking around the house checking the doors and windows.
Harry says he would "roll a joint" while Meghan and Archie slept. Cannabis has been legal for recreational use in California for those over the age of 21 since 2016.
Tyler, who appeared in the Netflix docuseries, also gets a 'thank you' in the acknowledgements section at the end of the book.
Supermodels
Prince William talks to model Claudia Schiffer in 2002 (PA)Many teenage boys dream of having parties with supermodels - but it really was the case for William and Harry.
In Spare, Harry recalls joining mum Diana for a chat with Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford.
The memory of speaking with the models came flooding back when he was speaking to a therapist and started releasing supressed emotions.
The three models frequently appeared on many front covers and on runways for big fashion campaigns.
Although Harry confesses it was actually "very confusing" for him and William as they were shy boys around the age of puberty.
Honourable mentions
Coldplay singer Chris Martin, chat show queen Oprah Winfrey, Gavin & Stacey star James Corden and Argentinian actor Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier get mentioned in the acknowledgements.
Harry thanks the famous faces for their unwavering friendship and support.
He also mentions watching Queen legend Brian May and Beatles hero Paul McCartney perform while discussing the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert.
Buckingham and Kensington Palaces have refused to comment on the contents of the book, which hit the shelves on Tuesday.
Spare has been released at all book stores and can be bought online here.
What are your thoughts on Harry's new book? Have your say in the comment section below.
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