The Duke of Sussex’s former military training partner says they “bonded” because he “got to see the Harry people haven’t seen”.
Dean Stott served with Prince Harry on several tours and he has now spoken about the moment he first met the then 22-year-old royal, and why they’ve remained close since.
Dean, 44, and Harry – who is the son of Prince Charles and grandson of Queen Elizabeth – first encountered one another back in 2007 when the pair were both enrolled in a Forward Air Controllers’ course in the UK.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Dean said: “I sort of made a jokey comment, much to the dismay of the rest of the staff. The sergeant major said, ‘You two are partnered up for the six weeks.’ I never saw Harry as a member of the royal family but as a soldier and officer. I really got to see the Harry people haven’t seen. That’s how we bonded.”
Dean and Harry have both done volunteering work for the British royal family’s ‘Heads Together’ mental health campaign, and Dean says he received a huge amount of encouragement from the 36-year-old royal when he attempted to break the record for the 14,000-mile bike ride along the Pan-American Highway in 2018.
Dean also knew that his need to finish quickly was compounded by his desire to get back to the UK in time for Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle, now known as the Duchess of Sussex.
He said: “Every time I got through a country, I would text [Harry] and let him know. He would say, ‘Keep going,’ and send good motivational messages.”
Prince Harry served in the British army for a decade. After completing two tours of Afghanistan he rose to the rank of Captain.
He and 39-year-old Meghan – who stepped back from being senior members of the royal family in 2020 – now live in California with their two-year-old son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and are expecting their second child, a daughter.