From Fondue Huts to the Frontline: The Surprising Career Path Prince Harry Considered Before the Military

Long before completing two tours of Afghanistan, rising to the rank of Captain, and building a multi-million-dollar media empire, Prince Harry had some remarkably unconventional career ambitions.

In his bestselling 2023 memoir, Spare, the Duke of Sussex opened up about the existential career conundrum he faced after graduating from Eton in 2003—revealing a series of surprisingly eccentric post-graduation dreams that left King Charles less than amused.

The Ski Resort and the “Life-Changing” Fondue Hut

While most young royals were expected to follow a strict path of university or immediate military service, a young Harry had his sights set on the snow-covered peaks of Austria.

Sharing memories of the ski trips his mother, Princess Diana, used to take him and Prince William on, Harry admitted he seriously considered moving to the upscale resort of Lech am Arlberg.

“For several years I’d talked in all seriousness about working at the ski resort in Lech am Arlberg,” Harry wrote, noting his hyper-specific target: “Specifically, I wanted to work at the fondue hut in the centre of town, which Mummy loved. That fondue could change your life. (I really was that mad.)”

According to the Duke, when he finally confessed his culinary fantasy to his father, King Charles simply sighed with immense relief.

King Charles’ Firm Rejection

The royal father-son summit didn’t stop at fondue. Harry recalled pitching a couple of other alternative career paths to the then-Prince of Wales, both of which were swiftly shot down:

• The Ski Instructor: When Harry suggested becoming a ski instructor, he noted that Charles “tensed again” and firmly declared it “Outological… Out of the question.”

• The Safari Guide: Following a long pause, Harry offered up another adventurous alternative: “How about… safari guide?” to which Charles allegedly replied with a flat, “No, darling boy.”

Bypassing University for a Greater Purpose

Opting to skip higher education entirely—a decision he has stated he has never regretted, despite later championing the value of education in conversations with figures like Malala Yousafzai—Harry spent a year traveling before entering the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Reflecting on his decade-long stint in the British Army, Harry revealed during an interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS’ 60 Minutes just how vital the military was for his mental well-being following the tragic loss of his mother:

“It got me out of the spotlight from the UK press. I was able to focus on a purpose larger than myself, to be wearing the same uniform as everybody else, to feel normal for the first time in my life.”

A New Chapter Across the Atlantic

While the fondue hut dreams were ultimately abandoned for military service, Prince Harry’s career took another dramatic turn in 2020.

Step-by-stepping back from senior royal duties alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duke pivoted to the corporate and creative sectors. Through their multi-year partnership with Netflix—part of a sprawling commercial portfolio estimated to be worth around $100 million—Harry has successfully traded the snowy slopes of Lech am Arlberg for the global media stage.