PRINCE Harry hit the pub with pals from Britain last night amid backlash over his “arrogant” bombshell interview.
The Duke of Sussex, 37, was blasted for claiming he is “protecting” the Queen while revealing details of their private meeting on a US TV interview.
In his explosive sit down with journalist Hoda Kotb, Harry said he and his grandmother have a “special relationship” and “talk about things that she can’t talk about with anybody else”.
His statements were widely criticised, with the Duke blasted as “arrogant” and his claims a “gross insult to all the royal family, the royal doctors and all the aides around Her Majesty”.
Despite the criticism, the Duke looked relaxed as he smiled while posing for photos in O’Casey’s bar in The Hague – twice voted best Irish pub in the world.
Pals from Britain flew over to down tequila shots and gorge on spicy chicken wings, traditional Dutch Bitterballen and a giant plate of Nachos last night.
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He spent three hours in the pub’s VIP area in the back garden flanked by five security guards – including Barack Obama’s bodyguard Christopher Sanchez.
His trip to the pub came as the Queen celebrated her 96th birthday – although staff say they did not hear anyone toast her.
The night out on the tiles came as Meghan, 40, flew back to LA earlier this week after she confessed she “missed” children Archie, two, and 10-month-old Lilibet.
John Gulay, 51, the bar’s owner, posed for a photo with the smiling Duke during the three-hour session.
He said: “It was really chilled. Some friends with him and they were out the back in the garden.
“He was here for three hours and stuck to one pint of Guinness.
“He left before the rest of his friends as he said he had lots of work to do tomorrow.”
John added: “He was normal and very chilled, sitting with his friends and having a great time.
“He had Bitterbollen – a Dutch snack -and thought they were really nice.
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“Everybody was really cool and chilled. Just a few drinks with friends for three hours.
“It was chilled but he came with security. There were two tables of security. Four Dutch and his bodyguard.
“I said to Harry, ‘it’s your day off’.
“I said I would pay for all of his drinks for a photo. So I picked up the bill for the whole group.
“He was just happy to be with his friends and left at 11pm.”
Harry sat with around a dozen friends who included ex-Invictus Games athlete and BBC presenter JJ Chalmers.
Two tables of security included Royal Dutch police and ex-Secret Service agent Christopher Sanchez.
ROYAL NIGHT OUT
The pub – which has 30 football screens and has twice been voted the Best Irish Pub in the world – was fully booked on Thursday due to a weekly pub quiz.
Other pals are thought to have included old mate David Wiseman – who is Director of Grants and Programmes at The Invictus Games Foundation.
O’Casey’s is a three-minute walk from Harry’s Royal Suite at the 5-star Hilton hotel in the centre of The Hague.
And it is near to the Noordeinde Palace – the working palatial home of the Netherlands Royal Family.
Harry is set to meet Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands at his Invictus Games later today.
The pub trip came after Harry clammed up and refused say if he had wished his grandmother a happy birthday.
The stern-faced Prince turned his nose up at journalists as he was driven around the Invictus Games in a golf buggy in the Netherlands.
Facing accusations of a “dreadful breach of trust” he was flanked by his ex-Secret Service and former Obama bodyguard Christopher Sanchez and a vast team of lackeys from his Archewell foundation.
In stark contrast, the stoic Queen marked her 96th birthday by going for a spin in the passenger seat of a Range Rover, driven by a single security guard after flying by helicopter to Sandringham, Norfolk.
Harry looked sulky in dark sunglasses as he whispered to aides while ignoring journalists.
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He turned down the chance to speak about the terrible reaction his NBC interview had received in Britain — or explain what he meant about wanting to “protect” the Queen.
Harry has angered palace staff by leaking conversations from last Thursday’s meeting with Her Majesty, which were broadcast on prime-time US TV.
