Throwback Thursday: Young Prince Harry Hits the Playground With Princess Diana

Then: In July 1986, 22-month-old Prince Harry was an adorable tot already in the spotlight thanks to his beloved mum, the then-25-year-old Princess Diana, and his father, Prince Charles, who happened to be the heir to the British throne. Young Harry, grinning and clothed in a British Army uniform, offered a glimpse at what we could expect from him in the future as he frolicked in the yard at Highgrove House, which continues to be Prince Charles's country home in Gloucestershire, England. No one would have predicted that the charitable Princess Di would be killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

Now: Prince Harry, who's now a captain in the British Army, would have made his late mother proud as he made a well-received visit to the United States this week. The third-in-line to the throne met with military families and wounded veterans, toured an exhibit on land mines – a cause his mother cared about deeply – and surveyed some of the damage from Hurricane Sandy. He charmed American politicians and civilians alike, and, just as importantly, managed not to become mired in scandal, as he did on his last U.S. visit when those pesky pics of him partying nude in Las Vegas leaked. Brilliant, Harry, just brilliant!

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