My embarrassment at telling my father that I had taken Prince Harry’s virginity: Sasha Walpole, the mystery lover in Duke of Sussex’s memoir, recalls the fallout from their romp… and insists she would still meet him for a drink if he asked

• Sasha laughed with her sister the morning after five-minute sex session in 2001
• But her father had remained oblivious for 21 years – until the publication of Spare
• Read more: Sasha almost fell off her sofa when her teenage romp became news

The digger driver who took Prince Harry’s virginity spoke last night of the embarrassment of having to tell her father that she was the ‘older woman’ described in the duke’s explosive memoir.

Sasha Walpole, now 40, laughed with her sister the morning after the five-minute sex session in a pub field in July 2001, and confessed what happened to her mother at the time.

But her father had remained oblivious for 21 years – until the publication of Spare sparked a global guessing game and forced her to tell him.

Harry wrote how a horse-loving ‘older woman’ treated him ‘not unlike a young stallion’ and ‘smacked my rump and sent me off to graze’ after a ‘quick ride’. Harry was 16 at the time and Mrs Walpole was celebrating her 19th birthday.

His graphic description of the ‘inglorious episode’ provoked international intrigue over the mystery lover’s identity which saw a number of women rule themselves out.

 Sasha Walpole spoke last night of the embarrassment of having to tell her father that she was the ‘older woman’ described in the duke’s explosive memoir

Sasha and Prince Harry pictured as youngsters. Left to right: Emma Lippiatt, Sasha Walpole (nee Alvis), Prince Harry and Lizzie Ward at The Beaufort Polo Club, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire

After their one-night stand, Harry cut contact with Sasha. Pictured: Dressed ready for a Polo ball

Former Highgrove groom Mrs Walpole knew that it was only a matter of time until her name leaked and so decided to tell her story to The Mail on Sunday this weekend.

First, she wanted the approval of her mother Lyn Alvis, 63, a hotel cleaner, and her 71-year-old groundworker father, Tony, both of whom she thought knew. But it quickly became apparent that her father had no idea – meaning she was forced to lay bare all the excruciating details to him.

‘It is something your parents probably should never read,’ said Mrs Walpole, a mother of two who now drives diggers for a living.

‘The day after I had sex with Harry I was in the kitchen at home and told my mum, but I didn’t give details. I think she was just like, “OK”. She trusted me, she knew I was on the Pill.

‘I thought we told Dad too but now I realise he hadn’t listened because he didn’t want to hear about what his teenage daughter was doing.’

The family never spoke about the encounter again until Harry published his infamous description last month.

Shortly after Spare came out, Mrs Walpole phoned her father to get his opinion on giving her version of events to the Press.

‘I was on the way to Morrisons to do the grocery shopping,’ she said. ‘At first we were talking about a job and then I said, “I just don’t know what to do about speaking out”. He didn’t react. Normally Dad would give his advice. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he just didn’t know.

 Mrs Walpole had invited the then 16-year-old to her 19th birthday party at The Vine Tree pub (pictured) in the Wiltshire village of Norton in July 2001

Aerial pictures of the Vine tree pub showing the surrounding fields where Sasha says the pair had sex

Sasha Walpole says she almost fell off her sofa when her teenage romp with the prince became headline news – after finding out via a friend on Whatsapp  – READ MORE HERE

‘I was thinking, “I am sure he knows”. The next day I spoke to Mum and said, “Does Dad know?”. She said, “I think so”. She spoke to him and he was like, “I did not know”. He explained that he probably wasn’t listening [back in 2001] because he didn’t want to know.’

It meant Mr Alvis was then forced to read and listen to all the details about his daughter.

Mrs Walpole said last night: ‘It is awkward because of what Harry has written about me slapping his bum, really cringey.

‘It flared up because of the way Harry has written it. That is why I am in this situation. Harry has put it out there.

‘If Dad has an opinion on what Harry has done, he wouldn’t say it. He wouldn’t stew on it, as long as I am OK. My parents’ concern is for my safety. They just want me to be OK.’

Despite being a ‘private’ couple, Mrs Walpole’s parents backed her decision to speak out.

Yesterday she told the Mail how she is ‘relieved’ the truth is finally out. ‘I don’t have to worry any more and I can get back to my life,’ she said. ‘I want to thank The Mail on Sunday for allowing me to tell my side. I’m not ashamed.

‘There’s no regret. It was a moment of madness and life is about experiences.

‘I have no idea what Harry thought when he read it. He hasn’t contacted me and I don’t think he will. I’m not the same girl I was back then and he’s not the same lad. From my side of things it’s done and I don’t have to live in fear it’s going to come out.’

Mrs Walpole has received hundreds of supportive messages from the public calling her ‘authentic’ and praising her for taking ownership of the story – away from Prince Harry.

‘I’m so grateful people have understood this is something I had to do,’ she said. ‘I’m so happy.’

Mrs Walpole has also been dubbed a ‘dark horse’ by her shocked friends who had no idea that she had slept with Harry until her revelation.

Sasha (left) and Harry (right) larking about at a charity night in The Vine Tree pub

Harry wrote how a horse-loving ‘older woman’ treated him ‘not unlike a young stallion’ and ‘smacked my rump and sent me off to graze’ after a ‘quick ride’ 

Sasha, now 40, laughed with her sister the morning after the five-minute sex session in a pub field in July 2001, and confessed what happened to her mother at the time 

READ MORE: How teen Prince Harry and stable girl Sasha Walpole’s friendship blossomed… on wild nights at the Rattlebone Inn and Harry and Wills’ Highgrove man cave Prince Harry and Sasha Walpole were fast friend

She told how she and the young prince had become friends while she was a groom at the future King Charles’s Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove. Mrs Walpole had invited the then 16-year-old to her 19th birthday party at The Vine Tree pub in the Wiltshire village of Norton in July 2001.

Harry arrived with a stuffed Miss Piggy and a comedy birthday card with a joke about a flatulent whale on the front.

With her down in the dumps over an ex, Harry cheered her up by buying them ten shots. But when they sneaked out of the pub for a crafty Marlboro Light cigarette, they ended up clambering over a fence to make love in a field.

‘He started to kiss me,’ she told The Mail on Sunday. ‘It was passionate, intense. We both knew. It went from a kiss on to the floor pretty quickly.

‘It was instant, fiery, wham bam, between two friends. It was sparky because we shouldn’t have been doing it. He wasn’t “Prince Harry” to me, this was Harry, my friend, and the situation had got a little bit out of control. It felt naughty, I suppose, in the sense that it shouldn’t be happening.

‘We didn’t set out to do it – it wasn’t premeditated and I didn’t know he was a virgin. There were no virgin vibes – he seemed to know what he was doing. It was quick, wild, exciting. We were both drunk. It wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t.’

She then returned to the pub while Harry hid in a phone box where his security detail found him.

She rang her sister, Jodie Mayhead, the next day and the two women giggled about it.

The duke and duchess continually rail against Press intrusion and call for greater privacy – but appeared unconcerned about intruding on Mrs Walpole’s privacy. Pictured: With Archie, now age three

Prince Harry was often pictured larking around with friends as a teenager, including at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire 

The shots show Lizzie Ward and Emma Lippiatt, who were also friends of the Prince, messing around at the polo club 

READ MORE: Digger driver Sasha Walpole, 40, reveals she is the mystery horse-lover who had ‘passionate’ five-minute sex session with the duke in pub field 

Accountant Mrs Mayhead, now 42, said: ‘Sasha said she’d slept with Harry in the field behind the pub. And she knew that or did seem to know that he’d lost his virginity to her.

‘We had a giggle about it. She didn’t go into detail other than it was drunken. I found it quite funny. It made no difference that it was Harry at all, he was just seen as one of the lads.’

At the time Harry and Sasha were close friends who would text each other regularly to meet up.

If the signal was too bad he would call the landline at the family’s three-bedroom semi in the Gloucestershire village of Acton Turville, near Badminton.

Laughing, Mrs Walpole said: ‘I remember the first time that Harry rang our landline. Mum answered the phone in the hall and said, “Harry’s on the phone”. Afterwards she asked, “Was that Harry, Harry?” I said, “Yes”. I remember her saying, “Oh, how funny”.’ But she explained: ‘I wasn’t excited to hear from him, it was just a friend phoning. He was Harry to me.’

The telephone calls were so frequent that Jodie would tell her sister to get off the phone because she too was waiting for a call.

Mrs Walpole would also head to the second landline in her parents’ bedroom for privacy. ‘It depended what we were chatting about as to how long we were on,’ she said. ‘It would be bits and bobs, nothing important, mates’ banter, horse talk, making plans mostly.’

But after their one-night stand, Harry cut contact. Though she does not have any regrets over them drifting apart, she is upset that she was not warned that their liaison would be mentioned.

Mrs Walpole, who has two children with husband Ian, 44, a racing driver, said: ‘I was shocked and feel like he has brought this to my door. I don’t understand why he went into such detail.

‘He could have said he lost his virginity and left it at that. But he described how it happened – in a field behind a pub. That’s fine if you’re not the other person involved.

At the time Harry and Sasha were close friends who would text each other regularly to meet up 

Picture of the Miss Piggy Toy Harry bought for Sasha for her birthday

‘But if you’re me, then you suddenly feel as if your world is getting a little bit smaller. He has done this to my privacy because I was going to keep my head down and not talk about it. If it wasn’t in the book none of this would be happening.’

Harry, who now lives in Montecito, California, with his wife Meghan, 41, and their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, has repeatedly said that he moved to the States to ‘protect’ his family.

The duke and duchess continually rail against Press intrusion and call for greater privacy – but appeared unconcerned about intruding on Mrs Walpole’s privacy.

The mother, who lives in Wiltshire, said: ‘The issue is that people know because they were part of that night or part of our original social circle.

‘Possibly, Harry could have thought about that before publishing. He could have found me if he had tried.’

She added: ‘If Harry contacted me I would say, “Let’s go for a drink for old times’ sake”. But not in The Vine Tree! We could catch up on the last 21 years. I would like to laugh with him about that mad night.’

Last night the landlord of The Vine Tree, Tom, said: ‘We always knew it was Sasha. She’s a very loyal customer so we would never have said anything. This pub is a sanctuary for the Royal Family and their secrets.’

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