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Remember when a dozen unsuspecting American twenty‑somethings were whisked into the English countryside in 2014, convinced they were competing for the heart of Prince Harry?
Twelve years after the premiere of I Wanna Marry ‘Harry’, the Duke of Sussex has finally made rare comments about the outrageous reality show that tried to convince its cast they were dating the world’s most eligible bachelor.
“Originally, they asked me [to do it], and I wasn’t available, so … ” Harry deadpanned on the Joe Marler Will See You Now podcast. “That’s not the worst that’s out there. That’s just one example.”
Now, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a reality‑TV obsessive. But as someone who has gone on to become WHO’s resident royal expert — and the writer behind weekly column The Royal Verdict — this particular show had me hooked.
In 2024, I trawled through YouTube to find all eight episodes, rewatching every chaotic twist in the name of research. A decade on, it was just as unhinged yet strangely charming as I remembered.
Soon after, to mark the 10th anniversary since it aired, I sat down over Zoom with contestant Meghan Jones, who spilled the tea from her home in the US about just how unreal this “reality” series really was.
What was I Wanna Marry ‘Harry’?
In a time when dating shows needed a gimmick to draw viewers in, the joke often ended up being on the contestants, as viewers laughed from the comfort of their lounge.
Going one step further than Joe Millionaire, a Bachelor-style show where a construction worker pretended to be rich, I Wanna Marry ‘Harry’ aimed to trick the group into thinking they were competing for the affection of the man who was then the grandson of Britain’s reigning Queen.
Instead, they were dating Matthew Hicks, an environmental consultant with dyed red hair.
“I applied for a show called Dream Date,” Jones tells WHO. “All we were told was it would be an ‘eligible bachelor from Europe’. I thought it would be a soccer player so I was looking up teams.”
What really happened behind the scenes
On camera, the deception started early. While not a palace, Englefield House looks regal enough that it stood in for the Sandringham Estate in The Crown.
In a weird twist, Prince Harry visited the country manor in 2017 for the wedding reception of Pippa Middleton.
While the girls enjoyed tea in the gardens, a helicopter dropped off Matthew, whose ‘butler’ Kingsley (played by actor Paul Leonard) addressed him as ‘Sir’.
Further stunts to cement the ruse saw fake Harry being whisked away after a “security incident”, photoshopped images of Matthew with Prince William, and fake paparazzi interrupting a group date.
“There was much more going on behind the scenes which is what I get annoyed about,” Jones says, reflecting back.
“People thought how can these dumb Americans fall for this, but it was constant mind manipulation. It was like being in a beautiful prison or a cult with the producers controlling everything. We weren’t even allowed to talk off camera to ask the other girls, ‘Are you buying this?’ Anyone who didn’t get on board went home.”
The end of the fairytale
For years afterward, the girls were ridiculed for thinking Harry would fall in love with an American who was on TV. That is, of course, until 2018, when he tied the knot with Suits star Meghan Markle.
“It’s ironic how he ended up with a Meghan, it felt a little bit vindicating,” Jones confesses.
While the show didn’t deliver anywhere near the fairytale it purported to, in reality, that’s not quite what life had in store for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex either.
The pair stepped down from their royal roles in 2020 and tensions remain between them and the royal family, including Prince William and Princess Catherine.
“Who’d want to marry Harry now anyway?” Jones says with a giggle.
“Looking at all the scrutiny and all the bulls–t that Kate puts up with. Meghan and Harry get that too, [they] get all that awful stuff … but they don’t get the glory because they won’t be King and Queen. But I don’t think it’s OK the way they’ve aired their dirty laundry. Family should come first, especially when you are in the royal family.”
Looking back on her experience sagely, Jones also had some advice for anyone who was thinking of signing up to go on TV.
“Reality shows can be great if you are there for the right reasons and have fun,” she says. “Just be mindful of the tricks.”
