Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Ingrid Seward

Aired September 15, 2002 - 07:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Today is a day to celebrate for the royals of Great Britain. Prince Harry, younger son of Diana and Charles, turns 18, and fashion photographer Mario Testino was commissioned to take Harry's official birthday pictures. The photographer traveled to Harry's school for the occasion, and ITN's Tom Bradley went with him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's amazing.

TOM BRADLEY, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one of the facts of royal life that an 18th birthday cannot really be a low-key affair. Prince Harry having his official portrait shot by one of the most famous photographers in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) very, very good looking (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Beautiful (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BRADLEY: Mario Testino has taken pictures of some of the most beautiful women in public life including, of course, Princess Diana. He's also photographed Prince Charles and the friendship that resulted from that led to this photo shoot for Prince Harry's official birthday picture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) how amazing you look with flush. Flush is your thing. You should flush year round.

BRADLEY: A Testino photo shoot is a substantial and entertaining business. He wanted to work through a number of different locations, some of which would be more casual. This picture is designed to reflect Prince Harry's love of polo. Like his father and brother, he adores the game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy. You're pretty young, though, no, 17? But don't worry, we're not done with you. You have black hair, brown eyes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And wrinkles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes because you don't anybody to look younger than we are. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on ...

BRADLEY: Prince Harry has made it very clear what message he wants to get across this weekend. He feels his mother's legacy has been obscured by the endless revelations, and he wants to continue the work she did, drawing attention to causes that are difficult or less well known.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) don't move -- don't move -- don't move -- don't move -- don't move -- don't move.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you say that, I want ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I say that, you want to move.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BRADLEY: He told Prince Harry through the hardships of the job, particularly photographing models like Kate Moss.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could say that I almost sit by her (UNINTELLIGIBLE). (UNINTELLIGIBLE) look, I think that this page maybe you only should look up (UNINTELLIGIBLE) but ...

BRADLEY: He presented Prince Harry with a copy of the book.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you address yourself to his Royal Highness ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. Harry.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe any old Dick and Harry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To any old Dick and Harry. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

BRADLEY (on camera): The obviously question is a lot of people adored his father, and there seems to be quite a lot of similarity between the mother and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You photographed mother and son.

MARIO TESTINO, PHOTOGRAPHER: I did, but there's a big similarity with his father, too, I have to say. The humor and there's a lot of traits of the father. Both (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a mix of parenting. He's lucky that both his parents have very good humor and that -- he's a photographer.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE)

BRADLEY: At the end of a long day, Prince Harry finally got his own back. He's been often written about rarely in a way he thinks fair. This weekend is the first chance he's had to carve a public profile for himself. Tom Bradley, ITV News at Eaton.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLAWAY: And when we come back, we will talk with a well known royal watcher. It's ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: And there she is, Lady Di with her new baby, Prince Harry, 18 years ago. Can you believe it? Today is the big day. He's -- big celebrations going on in England for his birthday and we're going to talk now with a royal biographer, Ingrid Seward, who is joining us from England.

Good morning, Ingrid.

INGRID SEWARD, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: Good morning (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

CALLAWAY: Prince Harry is turning 18. I can't believe it. We're looking at video of him when he was just a baby. It's just flown by and he's planning a lot of charity work today, isn't he, in -- to commemorate his mother.

SEWARD: Now what he did was last week he went to the memorial service for 9/11 and then did a couple of days charity work, which he really wanted to do. He's given an interview, in which he says his mother had more guts than anyone else, and he wanted to carry on the things that she didn't quite finish.

CALLAWAY: Is he a lot like his mother?

SEWARD: I think he's a lot more sensitive than people realize because you know he looks -- we've all been reading about his boozing and his drug taking and his partying. But I think Harry is quite sensitive, but he's got a great big sense of humor like Diana had.

CALLAWAY: Is he -- you know, is he very popular in England? It's hard to tell here in America. You know, is he a favorite or is he the one everyone likes to pick on? You know, what kind of treatment, royal treatment does Harry receive there?

SEWARD: Well, he's been very lucky because Prince Charles is obviously anxious to protect both his sons. But I think people rather warm to him because he is the younger troublesome son, and I think people can sort of relate to that. You know, because most teenagers, you know, have a problem at one time or another, and I think the fact that he's been in trouble makes him seem more real and more human.

CALLAWAY: There was a lot reported that he was -- that he was Princess Diana's favorite, that they were extremely close.

SEWARD: I don't think she was his favorite. I think -- he's actually very close to his father and always has been. I think, you know, he was -- he was the younger son. She -- he was her baby, you know, at that time, and she always used to call him her little (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because of his red hair, which is a Spencer family trait.

CALLAWAY: I understand it was his father's idea to do this charitable work to commemorate his birthday in a positive way.

SEWARD: That's right. I mean, Harry said he wanted to do it. He said he very much wanted to carry on his mother's work, although he wasn't pretending to be the Prince of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or anything like that. He just said he really wanted to do it, and he's always wanted to do it, and now he's old enough to (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I mean, I think there's a certain element of peer here.

CALLAWAY: Right. In the ITN report we saw a moment ago, we could see him joking around. I think he was known as being a bit of a prankster when he was young. Is he still that way?

SEWARD: He's still a prankster. Yes, he loves to play a practical joke on people, and he's got that same kind of quick wit that Diana had.

CALLAWAY: And Prince Charles.

SEWARD: And Prince Charles, absolutely. I mean he's -- I think he's a pretty good mixture of both of them. But I'm -- I mean I'm sure that there will be more troubles for Harry ahead because he is a very lively character. And I mean I feel that all of his character (UNINTELLIGIBLE) everything is fine, but you know he's still got a lot of living to do.

CALLAWAY: Yes, he does. Well, we wish him a happy birthday. Thank you for being with us this morning, royal biographer Ingrid Seward.

SEWARD: Thank you.

CALLAWAY: Well, there you go, a royal watcher.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com