Prince Harry once visited Alexandra Palace to watch the darts, and former head of the PDC, Barry Hearn, once confessed something the Royal told him
Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer
17:00, 21 Dec 2025
Prince Harry is known for his love of sports(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)
Renowned sports promoter Barry Hearn once revealed he felt “quite sorry” for Prince Harry following the Royal’s appearance at the darts at Alexandra Palace. The Duke of Sussex, 41, has long been an avid sports enthusiast, with a particular passion for polo, rugby and football.
So it came as little surprise when the Prince turned up at Alexandra Palace for the World Darts Championship in 2014.
During an appearance on The Barry Hearn Show, the former Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) chairman recalled how spectators began chanting Harry’s name upon spotting him in the audience, which prompted an uncomfortable reaction from the Royal.
Hearn expressed astonishment when Harry indicated he wasn’t permitted to acknowledge the crowd. “He’d just come out of the army and he’s obviously on a bit of a bender, I think. He brought three mates along. They were great fun,” Hearn said.
“And at one stage, the crowd started chanting. The rules were quite strict. We were allowed to put his face on the big screens just three times during the evening, just a flash.
Prince Harry in the crowd at Alexandra Palace(Image: Getty)
“So he was having a proper night out with his mates, having a few pints, enjoying himself. And the crowd started chanting: ‘Harry, Harry, give us a wave’. And he looked at me and I saw a bit of inquisitiveness in his face – as if to say, ‘What do I do?’
“I looked at him and said, ‘If you stand up now and you wave back to these people, your street credibility is assured for life because you’ve identified with the normal man, the people that form the majority of this country’. And he looked at me and said, ‘I don’t think I’m allowed to’… I thought that was quite said.”
In his memoir, the 77-year-old Hearn recalled how the Prince and his companions got through “60 pints of lager” during the evening before suggesting the former darts chief and his son, Eddie, join them for further celebrations.
“They proceeded to consume dozens of pints of lager and merged in with the crowd rather well. Harry was like any ordinary bloke on a night out with his mates,” he wrote.
Barry Hearn discussed meeting Prince Harry(Image: Getty)
“Eddie and I joined them on a table of six and it was clear they were on a bender. I reckon 60 pints of lager went down and I didn’t have much of it.”
He added: “At the end, Harry said they were off to a nightclub and would we like to come?’Not us,’ I said. ‘You guys are too dangerous.'”
Hearn Sr took on the role of PDC chairman in 2001, playing a pivotal part in establishing the organisation as the dominant force in professional darts. His tenure saw the sport surge in popularity throughout Britain, triggering remarkable commercial growth.
In 2021, after almost four decades at the helm, he relinquished his position as chairman of the Matchroom Sport Group, handing over responsibilities to his son, Eddie.