Rhys Whittock, 39, looks like Prince Harry, so much so he works as a professional look-alike, sometimes earning four figures a day.
Harry 2.0 signed with a look-alikes agency in 2017 after spending years being stopped in the street by random people telling him he resembled the prince.
Although he’s enjoyed a reasonably steady career off his regal looks, Whittock admits he was nervous when Harry decided to leave the monarchy in 2020 with his wife, Meghan Markle, and worried it would impact his livelihood.
However, the eerily similar-looking prince has been in more demand than ever.
“I was a bit concerned that it was my job over,” Whittock, from north Kent, England, told South West News Service. “But it became quickly apparent they’d remain in the media and public domain.”
Despite moving stateside, the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing court cases, book launch and coronation appearance has meant the doppelgänger has been kept busy over the past few years.
“Arguably [Harry and Meghan are] more in the spotlight than ever before,” he quipped, confirming business is booming.
After signing with the agency, he’s traveled far and wide for various roles, including TV adverts, private functions and even Great Britain’s news reenactments of the Duke’s court appearances — sometimes making upward of $1,000 a day.
“I love the job,” he gushed. “I’m very fortunate to look like one of the most talked about men in the world.”
His regal looks have even earned him some awards, taking out EasyJet’s “Best Prince Harry Lookalike in Europe” competition in 2018, which was the jumping-off point for his work.
Some of his high-flying events have included a private party for a billionaire’s birthday in Macau, China, in 2018 and a TV advert in Tel Aviv, Israel, in early 2020.
Whittock and his fiancée, Maria Bogatyreva, 26, are huge fans of the royal family and hope to meet them one day
“Aged 13, I went to watch Trooping the Colour in London and often watched the changing of the guard,” the royal enthusiast said. “I have always been a big fan of the royal family.”
Whittock says all publicity — including Harry’s recent appearance in court to testify in the case alleging that Mirror Group Newspapers hacked his phone — is good publicity.
“It is huge to be involved with such a big story. It’s a great way of portraying it to the audience using the transcripts from the courts,” Whittock said. “It’s a very authentic way to portray it.”
“But as long as Harry’s on the front pages, it’s always good for me because interest remains high,” he added. “I do think Harry is a very brave man to stand up to the British press and for standing up for his beliefs.
However, there are some differences between him and the royal.
“I’m one year older than Harry,” Whittock joked. “I actually tell people he’s MY look-alike because I got here first!”
