The latest example of the young royal’s defiant streak came over the Christmas break, when Harry, who was guest presenting Britain’s premier breakfast news and current affairs radio show, which featured an interview he had landed with Barrack Obama, practically announced that he was inviting the Obamas to his wedding to Meghan Markle next year.

For several days previously the papers had been full of leaks from diplomats, imploring Harry not to invite Obama to his wedding. It was reported that the Foreign Office fear that Donald Trump’s nose might be put out of joint if his hated rival is invited to attend a royal wedding before he gets to meet the queen (Trump’s long-mooted trip to the U.K. having been repeatedly downgraded and delayed).

Rather than achieving their supposed goal of reining Harry in, these off-the-record briefings appear to have had the opposite effect.