Prince Harry and Jersey Shore – the kind of team-up that should set alarm bells ringing and bring back memories of the prince’s last visit to a US party town, which resulted in pics of his bottom taking over the internet.
But Harry wasn’t on the shore to party with Snooki and co, he was there to show his concern and support for the communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy.
He shook hands with emergency personnel and construction workers and told residents how impressed he was to see “everyone getting together and making things right”.
The prince’s aides said he had specifically asked to visit the shore after meeting a US soldier in Afghanistan who had lost his home in last year’s storm.
Sandy was one of the deadliest and most destructive storms to hit the US in recent years. Jersey bore much of its brunt and eight months later thousands of people are still homeless.
Harry, who is on an official tour of the US, also visited Seaside Heights, where Jersey Shore is taped, and with his tour guide, Governor Chris Christie, played games on the boardwalk, handing over the prizes he won to local children.
Taylor Cirigliano, 11, said Harry won a blue elephant for her. “He asked me if I had won anything. I said no, and he said we are going to win you a prize. He won me this elephant, which was nice of him. He was really cute, and had a good personality. He liked all the kids.
“I think it was nice he came down here, because it puts a smile on people’s faces to know that he supports what everybody is doing.”
Harry and Governor Christie came within sight of a roller coaster that the storm sent plunging into the Atlantic Ocean, which became a defining image of the storm that struck in late October. A crane later began tearing apart the remnants of the Jet Star Roller Coaster, which blew off an amusement pier.
In both Seaside Heights and the Jersey town of Mantoloking, the prince shook hands with police, fire and other emergency personnel. He also greeted construction workers who have been working on rebuilding Seaside Heights’ boardwalk, which is now about two-thirds complete.
Governor Christie managed to bring a smile to the prince’s face by giving him a fleece. Christie, who was renowned for wearing a fleece while visiting the area in the aftermath of the storm, tweeted a picture of the moment.
Greeting Prince Harry at the Jersey Shore the best way I know how; with his own Royal Fleece: twitter.com/GovChristie/st…
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) May 14, 2013
I agree with Prince Harry – NJ’s resiliency does show fantastic American spirit: youtube.com/watchv=qxJZE0…
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— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) May 14, 2013
At both Harry’s New Jersey stops, girls and young women jostled for a position to get a good look at the prince, take pictures and fantasize about marriage proposals.
“He is so cute. He came in with that white shirt and red hair, and he just exceeded all my expectations,” said Brianna Marchal, 19, of Manahawkin, during his second stop. “The crowd literally grew three inches when he came by because everyone was on their tip toes, trying to get a picture. We had four devices going at the same time, trying to get pictures of him.”
Her sister, Taylor, 21, said she has been following Harry for years.
“It’s the whole fairy tale thing,” she said. “He’s a real live prince, here in New Jersey. We both want to marry him.”
– With AP
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