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Rhys Whittock, a Welsh Prince Harry lookalike, told Heart Bingo Online his most unusual booking was flying 12 hours to Macau to appear at a billionaire’s 75th birthday party alongside William and Queen Elizabeth II impersonators. He said work slowed after Harry moved to California, COVID-19 and the Queen’s death, but bookings are picking up again.
A professional Prince Harry lookalike has revealed the strangest booking of his career: a 12-hour flight to Macau, China to appear at a Malaysian billionaire’s 75th birthday party, complete with a replica Buckingham Palace set. Rhys Whittock, from Wales, shared the details in an interview with Heart Bingo Online, reported by Marie Claire.
Whittock, who says he was regularly “stopped on the street” over his resemblance to the Duke of Sussex, first sent his photo to a lookalike agency around the time of Prince William and Princess Kate’s 2011 wedding. He said his career only took off after Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement, when demand for Harry impersonators surged ahead of their 2018 royal wedding.
Describing the unusual Macau job, Whittock said he travelled alongside lookalikes of Prince William and the late Queen Elizabeth II. “All three of us were in business class at Heathrow Airport about to fly to China,” he recalled. “We had a lot of comments from the cabin crew!” He said the party, held for “one of the richest men in Malaysia,” featured a replica Buckingham Palace set with gates and pillars made from actual metal and stone.
To prepare for the role, Whittock said he studied Harry’s voice using YouTube and the audiobook of the prince’s memoir, Spare, practicing the speed and tone of his speech, which he described as “quite different” from his own Welsh accent. He said he has never met the Duke of Sussex but feels “kind of similar” in personality, noting he also attended private school.
Royal Lookalikes Follow the Royals’ Fortunes
Whittock’s account illustrates how the niche business of royal lookalikes rises and falls with royal news cycles. He said the period around the 2018 Sussex wedding brought a flood of work — including PR stunts for EasyJet and a hot tub company, an appearance on BBC Breakfast News, a segment on This Morning, and a Morrison’s wedding cake advertisement.
He said demand later dropped for three main reasons: Harry’s move to California, the COVID-19 pandemic, which “killed events completely for a couple of years,” and Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022, which he called “really detrimental to being busy” because she was the most popular royal among audiences outside the UK. Before the pandemic, he said, he worked full-time as a lookalike; when bookings dried up, he took a job as an estate agent.
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From Street Double to Full-Time Impersonator
: “According to the Marie Claire report, royal lookalikes had a high-profile moment around William and Kate’s 2011 wedding, but the 2018 wedding of Harry and Meghan Markle created particular demand for Harry doubles. Whittock built a career on that demand, appearing on numerous TV shows and commercials and receiving recognition at The Reel Awards 2020, which honour celebrity impersonators and tribute artists. He has also posed publicly with Princess Kate lookalike Jodie Bredo.
“I flew 12 hours to Macau, China for a billionaire’s 75th birthday party.”
— Rhys Whittock, speaking to Heart Bingo Online
Claims Made in a Promotional Interview
All details about the Macau booking, his income and his booking volume come from Whittock’s own account in an interview with Heart Bingo Online, a gaming promotion site, and cannot be independently verified. The identity of the Malaysian billionaire and the event date were not disclosed.
Whittock also said his bookings are recovering because the Sussexes have “moved back to England.” This reflects his own view; the couple’s current living arrangements and future public appearances in the UK are not confirmed by the interview itself. Marie Claire’s report does not independently verify any of his claims.
Whether a Sussex Revival Lifts Bookings
Whittock says enquiries have already been coming in and that he expects to see Harry attending more events, which in his view makes a lookalike encounter “believable” for audiences. Whether demand returns to pre-pandemic levels will depend on the Sussexes’ public schedule and broader interest in the royal family. Whittock has indicated he continues to balance lookalike work with his career as an estate agent.
Key Questions
Who is the Prince Harry lookalike in the interview?
Rhys Whittock, a Welsh man who says people frequently stopped him in the street over his resemblance to Prince Harry. He joined a lookalike agency around the time of William and Kate’s 2011 wedding.
What was the craziest booking he described?
According to Whittock, he flew 12 hours to Macau, China to appear at a Malaysian billionaire’s 75th birthday party, alongside Prince William and Queen Elizabeth II lookalikes, where organisers built a replica Buckingham Palace set.
Has he ever met Prince Harry?
No. Whittock says he has never met the Duke of Sussex, though he feels “kind of similar” in personality and also attended private school.
How does he prepare for the role?
He said he studied Harry’s voice using YouTube and the audiobook of the memoir Spare, practicing the prince’s speaking speed and tone, which differ from his own Welsh accent.
Why did his lookalike work slow down?
He cited Harry’s move to California, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 as the main reasons bookings dropped, leading him to take a day job as an estate agent.
Source: rss
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