Katie Couric Recalls Meeting Prince Harry During His 'Wild-Oats Sowing Phase' In New Book

Katie Couric has shared details of her first encounter with Prince Harry almost a decade ago in her bombshell book.

The former "Today" show co-host wrote about meeting the Duke of Sussex, now 37, at a polo match in Brazil in 2012 during what she described as his "wild-oats sowing phase," according to Daily Mail, which obtained a copy of her memoir "Going There."

At the time, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol seemed to "ooze from every pore" of Prince Harry's body, Couric claimed in the book. Their meeting happened just two months before the royal made headlines for his infamous trip to Las Vegas where he was photographed naked.

A rep for Prince Harry had no comment about the book mention, according to E! News.

Couric was on assignment to interview Prince Harry for an ABC special about Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

When she introduced her interview with Prince Harry on ABC, she said that the duke was "known for his cheeky sense of humor and love of partying."

However, she added, "We got to see the warm and personal side when we talked about what his grandmother means to him" in their interview.

Prince Harry said of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, at the time, "When we were young, it was very easy to take our grandmother for granted. She was just a grandmother to us, and it's only been over the past five, eight to 10 years that I've come to understand the huge deal she is."

He also talked about his hopes of finding someone to start a family with in the future. "I've longed for kids since I was very, very young. I'm waiting to find the right person and someone who's willing to take on the job," Prince Harry shared.

Prince Harry has since found the "right person" in Meghan Markle, whom he married in May 2018. The couple is now raising their two children, Archie, 2, and 4-month-old Lilibet Diana, in California.

The former actress encouraged Prince Harry to take on a healthier lifestyle after they started dating, an unnamed source told People in 2018. Markle, described as a yoga devotee who follows a semi-vegan diet, helped Prince Harry "get rid of any remnants of his party lifestyle," the insider said.

Prior to their royal wedding, Prince Harry "lost weight, started a healthier diet and even gave up smoking cigarettes," the source said, adding, "They both felt amazing leading up to the wedding. And he couldn’t have done it without her support."