Prince Harry Interviews Barack Obama: "Do I Need a British Accent?"

Interview set to air in full on BBC Radio 4's Today show on December 27

By Corinne Heller Dec 17, 2017 4:51 PMTags
Prince Harry, Barack ObamaThe Obama Foundation via Getty Images

Prince Harry, radio journalist, chats with an old and very famous friend in a special holiday interview.

The 33-year-old British prince recently interviewed former U.S. President Barack Obama for BBC Radio 4's Today show as part of a guest editorship. A preview video of the two getting ready for their formal chat was posted online on Sunday and the full interview will be released on December 27.

"Do I have to speak faster, because I'm a slow speaker," Obama asks, sitting at a table with a glass of water and a red Starbucks holiday cup in front of him.

"Not at all," Harry replies.

"OK," Obama says, joking, "Do I need a British accent?"

"If you start using long pauses between the answers, you're probably gonna get 'the face,'" Harry tells him.

"Lemme see the face...I don't wanna see that face," Obama says, smiling.

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Prince Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games

Kensington Palace said in the interview, the former president shares his memories of the day he left office and talks about his hopes for his post-presidential life, including his plans to focus on cultivating the next generation of leadership through the Obama Foundation.

Harry and the former president have been friends for years and were most recently photographed together at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto in September. Kensington Palace said the interview was recorded there.

Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage

In the preview clip, Harry later tells Obama, "You're excited about this, I'm nervous about this, that's what's quite funny."

 

"It's fun," the former president says. "I'll interview you if you want."

"No, no, let's keep it this way," Harry says. "I'd much prefer that."