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Rare photo of a young Prince Harry proves he was a royal rule breaker right from the start

There's no mistaking it, Harry was always cheeky.
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He’s always been billed as the “royal rebel” thanks to his spirited yet down-to-earth demeanour.

And now, a rare photo from Prince Harry’s childhood proves he was cheeky right from the start.

This week, Royal fan account @_duchess_of_sussex shared a touching photo of the young prince playing outside with his father Prince Charles.

At first glance, you could be mistaken for the father and son simply enjoying some bonding time together as the future King of England indulges in fly-fishing on the river bank.

But on closer inspection, it appears Prince Harry is lifting up his father’s kilt in a moment of innocent curiosity.

The sweet photo was quickly flooded with comments from delighted fans.

“Cutie Harry!!!! Being mischievous!!!!❤️❤️❤️,” one person wrote.

“So typical of Harry,” another said.

“Children will always be children regardless of who they are,” a third noted.

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Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry relax together on the banks of the river Dee in Balmoral in 1997.

(Image: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

The photo was captured in 1988 on a family holiday to The Queen’s estate in Balmoral, Scotland.

Prince Harry was on the cusp of turning four and according to onlookers, grew bored of watching his dad trying to catch salmon when he decided to take a peek under his kilt.

“Charles looked so embarrassed. He turned round, pulled the kilt down and gave his son an earful,” a witness recalled, People reported at the time.

At the time, British newspapers had a field day with the heartwarming photo with the Daily Express quipping: “It wasn’t long before the heir presumptive became very presumptive. And the heir apparent became rather more apparent than he had been.”

WATCH: Prince Harry and Prince William play with Princess Diana. Post continues below…

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Prince Charles, pictured with Princess Diana and a young Prince William and Prince Harry at Balmoral in 1988, always dons the Balmoral tartans when staying on the Scottish estate.

(Image: Hugh Farmer/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Balmoral Castle has long been the preferred residence for the royals to spend their summer holidays and escape public life.

Here, they shoot, ride and fish. It has the air of a country estate and is comfortably furnished but in a very homely way with lots of traditional tartan.

When in Scotland, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall live in Birkhall, a house within the Balmoral Estate and previous home to the Queen Mother.

Prince Harry’s outgoing personality has been evident since his childhood.

(Image: Getty)

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