Prince Harry says he used laughing gas and ate Nando’s to “enhance his calm” during the birth of his son, Archie.
Writing about the scene at the private Portland Hospital in London in 2019, he says his wife Meghan was “so calm”.
He was calm too, he says. But he saw two ways of “enhancing” the state.
“One: Nando’s chicken. (Brought by our bodyguards),” he writes. “Two: A canister of laughing gas beside Meg’s bed.
“I took several slow, penetrating hits. Meg, bouncing on a giant purple ball, a proven way of giving nature a push, laughed and rolled her eyes.
“I took several more hits and now I was bouncing too.”
When Meghan’s contractions began to quicken and deepen, the nurse came and tried to give her some gas.
“There was none left. The nurse looked at the tank, looked at me, and I could see the thought slowly dawning: Gracious, the husband’s had it all.
“'Sorry', I said meekly,” he writes.
“Meg laughed, the nurse had to laugh, and quickly changed the canister.”
He did not use it during the birth of his daughter, he writes.
“This time I didn’t touch the laughing gas (because there was none.) I was fully present,” he writes.
Laughing gas, which is nitrous oxide, does not eliminate pain, but can dull it and reduce anxiety. It is used widely in medical settings, particularly during labour and for dental treatments.
But its use is also growing recreationally, prompting doctors to warn that regular ingestion can lead to nerve damage, including paralysis.
It occurs because the drug causes creates a deficiency in vitamin B12, which disrupts the production of myelin, a fatty sheath which encompasses nerves.
The process can lead to spinal cord damage, which can be irreversible if left untreated.
Prince Harry's book also reveals how he had “taken cocaine” during a shooting weekend in the summer of 2002 when he was 17 and did “a few more lines” on other occasions.
He says it was not “fun and it did not make me feel as happy as it seemed to make others but it did make me feel different and that was my main goal. To feel. To be different”.
He also acknowledges using cannabis and magic mushrooms — which made him hallucinate that a toilet was talking to him.
The book was leaked ahead of its official release on Tuesday. Details to have emerged since include the prince’s 15-minute shopping system in discount store, TK Maxx.
Prince Harry said he received an official clothing allowance from “pa” each year, but it was strictly for formal wear, such as suits, ties and ceremonial outfits.
Prince Harry's book is released — in pictures
For more casual clothes he would shop at the “discount store”, where he could snap up just-out-of-season clothes for bargain prices.
Writing in his autobiography Spare about the experience in some detail, he said he was “particularly fond” of its annual sale, when the shop would be flush with items that had just out of season or were slightly damaged from Gap or J.Crew.
He writes about his system to grab the best bargains, which involved him reaching the shop 15 minutes before closing.
“Grab a red bucket. Hurry to the top floor. Begin systematically working up one rack and down another,” he writes.
“If I found something promising I’d hold it up to my chest or legs, standing in front of a mirror.
“I never dawdled over colour or style and certainly never went near a changing room. If it looked nice, comfortable, into the bucket it went.”
At closing time he said he would run out with giant shopping bags “feeling triumphant”.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Superior, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Roy Orbison, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.15pm
Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm
Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
Winner: Welford, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Sandeep Jadhav
