Prince Harry will interview former US President Barack Obama when he guest edits Today for BBC Radio 4 on 27 December, and a sneak preview of their warm up was released yesterday.
“Do I have to put on a British accent?” Obama asks him.
Prince Harry replies in the negative, but tells him that “If you start using long pauses between answers, you’re going to get ‘the face.’”
The Prince then demonstrates a scowl at Obama’s urging, and Obama retorts that he doesn’t want to “see that face.”
The interview, set to air after Christmas, will focus on “their shared interest in building platforms for the next generation of young leaders,” per a Kensington Palace Instagram post.
“The conversation includes President Obama’s memories of the day he left office and his hopes for his post-presidential life, including his plans to focus on cultivating the next generation of leadership through the Obama Foundation.”
Prince Harry confirms with Obama that a 20-minute interview will air on Today, with the hope that a 40-minute podcast – encompassing the entire interview – will be released later.
The interview took place in September when the Prince and former President were in Toronto for the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry and the Obama Family have earned attention in the press for their friendship and natural rapport with each other. Many speculate that the former president and Michelle Obama will receive invitations to Prince Harry’s May wedding.
In 2016, ahead of the Invictus Games in Orlando, President Obama and Michelle Obama posted a video on Twitter telling Prince Harry to “bring it” and mimicked a mic drop.
Prince Harry sent a video reply through the Kensington Palace account, where he and The Queen watched the Obama video, and The Queen replied, “Boom? Really? Please.”
The Obamas have dined at Kensington Palace with Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and have met Prince George.
President Obama and Prince Harry attended the Invictus Games this September in Toronto, and Prince Harry joined the Obamas for their Foundation’s summit on Halloween in Chicago, where he and Michelle visited students at Hyde Park Academy.
The Prince later spoke at the summit, about the next generation of leaders, saying, “We have to listen to the younger generation because they are the cure of some of the world’s biggest problems.”
And when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on 27 November, Obama tweeted, “Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together.”
Today airs weekdays on BBC Radio 4 from 6:00 am to 9:00 am.
Barack, I know you are keen to go to that wedding! but with this bromance…. you might lose some “likes” mmm just saying