It was a dark and dreary Saturday night. A young gallant called Thomas van Straubenzee strode ‘round south London, chatting to his friend Prince Harry on his cell phone. In a flash, a ne’er-do-well snatched the BlackBerry from his hand while his royal friend remained on the line. Van Straubenzee, 28, had become a dandy in distress.
But he needn’t have feared. The knight-errant Harry rode to Van Straubenzee’s rescue (accompanied by his squire, er, protection officer). Harry scoured the streets of Battersea, looking for his friend without success. Finally, he drove to a local police station, where he discovered Straubenzee reporting the misdeed. The Prince escorted Van Straubenzee home before making his way back to Clarence House.
Prince Harry and Van Straubenzee have long shared a feudal bond – they attended Eton together, whilst the Dutch-descended Van Straubenzee family has served the British Crown for a century and a half, according to the Daily Mail.
Prince Harry is the first senior Royal to report a crime at a local police station, and has given a statement that will play a part in the investigation. The suspect, meanwhile, was arrested and freed on bail while the BlackBerry was recovered. No word yet from police on whether the assailant was in fact a crazed ‘Harry Hunter.’