WITH Prince Harry's new Netflix docuseries causing quite the stir, we've been on a hunt through the archives for pictures of the Duke of Sussex in Southampton.
Unfortunately, we've been met with a paucity of content - almost as though he's never spent any time here!
However, we came across a set of pictures and a story from 2014 that made us chuckle.
The events take place long before Meghan Markle was on the scene, when a group of American singletons had heard that Prince Harry was on the hunt for a wife and they had jumped on a plane to the UK.
But what the wannabe princesses didn’t know was that the handsome ginger-haired bachelor they were trying to snare was in fact a Southampton graduate working as a lookalike for the then-fourth in line to the throne.
What started off as a joke for Matthew Hicks when his university friends realised his remarkable resemblance to the prince, took him to the centre stage of an ITV television show.
The American show called I Wanna Marry Harry had the University of Southampton geology graduate try to fool 12 American girls who have been told that he is Prince Harry and is looking for a wife.
The show’s tagline read: “Will he be able to convince them he’s regal, and if he does, will they fall for the crown or fall in love with the real him?”
The 24-year-old received some help along the way, undergoing treatment to ensure his naturally blond hair was the right hew and being put up in a house fit for a prince in Berkshire.
During the course of the show, the girls lived the life of luxury with “Harry” in Englefield House and each week Matthew took each of the girls on an extravagant date before eliminating at least one hopeful.
The show ran for eight episodes and Matthew didn’t reveal his true identity until the very end.
It was only then that Matthew chose one girl, Kimberly Birch, and the pair split a prize of £250,000.
Birch and Hicks had a few show-related meetups but then went their separate ways.
It wasn’t the first time Hicks’s doppelganger looks had seen him on our screens - he also had a spot on a Come Dine with Me special for Channel Four, a promo video for Ice Age 4, and various nightclub appearances.
Do you know of any appearances Prince Harry may have made in the area? If so email ian.crump@dailyecho.co.uk .
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo.
Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website.
You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today.
Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook
Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel