Harry's £2 tip on a £200 bill

Prince Harry and a group of his friends left just £2.10 as a tip after running up a bill of more than £200 for a drink-laden meal at a country restaurant, it emerged today.

The party of nine drank a bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne, two jugs of Pimm's and several Jack Daniels and colas while at The Med restaurant in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. However, when it came to paying the bill, which did not include a service charge, the 17-year-old Prince and his friends searched in their pockets for loose change.

Sarah Lewis, who owns the restaurant with Chris Longbottom, said: "Some of the waitresses were thinking that with Harry here and having had the service, it was going to be a good night for tips.

"It was funny because here were some of the richest kids in England and they all had their coppers out. I think the waitresses were a little disappointed."

While the royal party were seated upstairs, Prince Harry's minder was downstairs to keep "a careful eye on what drinks were going up to make sure they weren't triple whiskies or anything", according to an unnamed restaurant insider.

But a fellow diner added: "They were drinking so much that the restaurant had to send somebody to Threshers (off licence) to restock."

The Prince, who is third in line to the throne, has promised to behave after admitting smoking cannabis and drinking to excess at the Rattlebone Inn in Sherston, Wiltshire, last year.

Last week it emerged he recently spent an evening drinking lager through a straw and downing half a dozen alcopops at a private polo club party.

The Prince's father became so concerned last year that he took Harry to a London addiction clinic to see the dangers of drink and drugs first hand.