IT would appear Prince Harry merrily handed over his mobile phone details to a couple of chancers from Russia who proceeded to make a right fool of him.
As we know, they posed as schoolgirl eco-warrior Greta Thunberg then simply sat back smirking, waiting for Harry to call so they could reel him in.
He needed little encouragement to slam Donald Trump for “having blood on his hands” over climate change, deliver his usual kicking to the media and then distance himself from other members of the Royal Family.
All very unedifying and more than a little embarrassing.
Apparently the hoaxers went on to ask for Harry’s help to send penguins from Belarus to the North Pole when every five- year-old knows that penguins inhabit Antarctica in the Southern Ocean.
The comedy duo even suggested Greta could marry Prince George and offered Harry help to claim the throne of Russia.
I hope by then he twigged they were pulling his plonker and swiftly hung up.
Now I happen to feel rather sorry for Harry, who was horribly compromised and exposed as a bit of a nitwit.
But there are more serious implications here.
When he decided he wanted to leave the bosom of his admittedly dysfunctional family, Harry claimed it was to protect his son as well as to have the freedom of earning a living under his own steam.
That’s all very well and good, but by cutting ties with the monarchy, he’s left himself wide open to this sort of scam, and if he doesn’t watch out he will find himself reduced to a figure of fun and ridicule.
NO PROTECTION
The Russian pranksters, Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov (aka Vovan and Lexus) hatched their elaborate hoax in December with a string of fake emails to Harry and Meghan’s Hollywood PR team trying to set up contact with “Greta”.
According to Vladimir and Alexei, no checks were ever carried out to confirm their identity, and they duly received an email direct from Harry while he was staying with Meghan and baby Archie at his Canadian hideaway on Vancouver Island at Christmas.
It’s not unreasonable to assume that if Harry had still been part of the Royal Family, he would have been protected from himself, and Vlad and Alexei would have been sent away with a flea in their ear.
Lessons have been learned by courtiers since the Queen was hoodwinked in 1995 by a DJ in Canada pretending to be the Canadian Prime Minister.
It would now be extremely rare for anyone who isn’t thoroughly vetted and authenticated to get past the rottweilers guarding the privacy of senior royals.
Harry doesn’t have that firewall any more, and I don’t think any of us want to see him unfairly exposed like this, especially when he appears to be so vulnerable.
There’s still huge affection for both Harry and Meghan, and although many of us were sad when they announced they wanted to leave, we wished them all the best and hoped they would be happy.
Accusations from the US alleging racism were not only unfair but also insulting.
The overwhelmingly vast majority of us welcomed Meghan and were delighted Harry had found true love.
The Sussexes’ flying visit here this week to carry out a few final royal duties demonstrated their combined star power that would have revitalised The Firm and achieved such a power of good to the causes they champion.
That stunning photograph of them grinning in the rain is an image that defines their love for each other as well as demonstrating what we have lost.
Of course this hoax will merely enforce Harry’s sense of resentment about having been born into the public eye and also presents him with a massive dilemma.
There’s the fiercely protective part of him that wants to hide away in the backwoods with his wife and baby son.
Then there’s the man who knows that in order to earn a substantial living, he has to use his fame to give high- paying speeches, endorse products and charm Hollywood high-rollers into giving Meghan voice-over work and maybe even future film roles.
It’s a very difficult tightrope to walk and needs keen-eyed intelligence and infallible instincts.
None of which poor Harry demonstrated when he was oh-so-easily duped.
It doesn’t bode well for the future.
Luba’s glitter call
THE line-up for the real true stars of Strictly Come Dancing, those hard-working professional dancers, was revealed this week.
There will be no Kevin from Grimsby this year as the talented 2018 glitterball winner, with his now-girlfriend Stacey Dooley, has quit the show.
But stalwarts Anton du Beke, Oti Mabuse and Giovanni Pernice will still be in the line-up along with AJ Pritchard, plus husband and wife Janette Manrana and Aljaz Skorjanec.
My one to watch is gorgeous Luba Mushtuk who partnered James Cracknell last year.
Luba is not only incredibly talented and ridiculously gorgeous, but having spent time climbing hills, doing yoga and working out with her, I can testify she has a heart of gold and the sort of sunny disposition that makes you feel a whole lot better about life.
Can’t wait to see what she brings to this year’s Strictly.
Maybe, the Beeb’s powers-that-be could even bring the show forward to give the nation a bit of much-needed escapism.
Time’s up for sex abusers
SO despite procuring the sharpest, most brutal lawyers money can buy and relentlessly using that “Zimmer of sympathy” during his trial, Harvey Weinstein will now wake every morning in a jail cell.
The man who wielded enormous power over Hollywood A-listers and subjected vulnerable young women to appalling sexual abuse has finally been held to account and will serve 23 years for rape and sexual assault.
The person most astounded by his downfall was the vile excuse for a man himself.
Weinstein was so arrogant he simply could not believe that the law applied to him.
He bullied, assaulted and struck terror into the souls of his victims.
We are all indebted to every single one of those brave women who had the courage to come forward.
We should also salute the dogged, determined lawyer Gloria Allred, who refused to back down and won a guilty verdict.
Weinstein still has to face another courtroom in Los Angeles, accused of further sickening crimes.
His sentence sends a clear message to all the sexual predators and bullies in workplaces around the globe, not just in Hollywood’s movie industry.
Those abusing power in banking and politics and who hold high office should now tremble in fear.
The women they have wronged will be silent no longer.
They will have their say and they will have justice.
A great recipe for success
GENIUS casting by Channel 4 bosses, who have brought Matt Lucas inside their big tent.
The hugely likeable comedian will take over hosting The Great British Bake Off alongside Noel Fielding when filming starts in the spring.
Warm and witty Matt takes over from Sandi Toksvig and has already ordered bigger trousers to make room for all the delicious cakes he’ll be guzzling.
He’s the perfect topping to Bake Off’s signature sponge and as we speak will be delving into the Kenneth Williams Bumper Book Of Double Entendres.
It’ll be a lot of fun.
