Prince Harry tells his father that he 'picks his brains'

Prince Harry tells his father that he 'picks his brains'

Prince Charles today called Prince Harry his 'darling boy' after his son told him he 'picks his brains more now than ever' during a radio interview.

The 33-year-old was guest editing Radio 4's Today programme and affectionately called his father 'pa' and thanked him for 'allowing' him to interview him for the show.

And during the four-minute chat, the Prince of Wales said it was 'amazing' that he had been listening to him regarding climate change.

The pair started talking about the planet and the 69-year-old joked that people are finally waking up to his 'dotty' opinions about the environment.

When asked by his son to pick one issue to focus on, Charles said over the years there have been a 'whole lot' of things he has tried to focus on that he thought needed attention.

He said: 'Not everyone else did, but maybe now some years later they are beginning to realise that what I was trying to say may not have been as dotty as they thought.

'The issue really which has to go on being focused on, big time I think, is this one around the whole issue of climate change.

'Which is now, whether we like it or not, is the biggest threat multiplier we face because what is happening now is what I was dreading.

'Which is we are having to deal all the time with the symptoms that are springing up all round the world, and they are diverting us off down all these different channels to try and deal with ghastly conflicts and humanitarian and natural disasters, and goodness knows what else.

'But at the root of it all, much of it, is climate change which is causing untold horrors in different parts of the world.'

When he started the interview, Prince Harry referred to his father as 'pa' and said it was 'very nice' to see him.

He later asked him: 'Moving on, I know the two of us could end up talking about this for hours and hours and hours of which we always do but not with a microphone in front of us. 

'But do you feel optimistic about the future, for the world that William, myself, your grandchildren and everyone else out there is going to inherit.'

His father replied: 'Well my dear boy if I must say so, the fact you're saying this, gives me enormous optimism. I haven't obviously put you off when banging on all these years.

'Because if you think that, that is really encouraging. What I've tried to do all these years is to make sure that I can ensure that you and that your children, my grandchildren, also everyone else's grandchildren, have a world fit to live in.'

Harry later told him: 'I totally see it and I totally understand it because of all these years of conversations that we've been having and I do end up picking your brains more now than I ever have done.' 

His father added: 'Well darling boy it makes me very proud to think that you understand.'

Harry then joked: 'And that I'm listening?' 

'Well that's even more amazing', his father said.  

'It's the family she never had': Prince Harry tells Radio 4 listeners that Meghan Markle had a 'fantastic' Christmas at Sandringham and the royals 'loved having her there'

Prince Harry today told Radio 4 listeners that his fiancee Meghan Markle had a 'fantastic' Christmas with the Royals and said they are the 'family she never had'.

The 33-year-old was guest editing the Today programme and his interview with Barack Obama - the first since he left the Oval Office - was played live on air.

He grilled the former president, who urged world leaders to use social media appropriately and warned it is distorting the public's understanding of complex issues.

But the tables turned when the fifth in line to the throne was quizzed by presenter Sarah Montague at the end of the three-hour show.

She asked the prince about his engagement and Christmas with Miss Markle and he replied: 'It was fantastic, she really enjoyed it.'  

He added that his family 'loved having' the 36-year-old Suits actress with them in Sandringham, Norfolk, and said the Royals are 'the family she has never had'.

Miss Markle's mother Doria Ragland, 61, and father Thomas Markle Sr, 73, divorced in 1987 and Mr Markle Sr has still not met his daughter's fiance.  

But her half-sister has revealed her elusive father will want to walk her down the aisle next year and her nephew will reportedly 'gatecrash' the ceremony if he isn't invited.

And on Christmas Day, the engaged couple joined the Queen at Sandringham and were photographed walking with other royal family members to church.

Harryalso revealed he had stayed with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who live in Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while visiting the Queen at her nearby Sandringham estate.

Speaking about his fiancee, he said: 'The family loved having her th