Highlights:
- Malala met Prince Harry backstage at Wembley in 2014
- Her mum shouted “remove” after he put his arm on Malala’s shoulder
- The Nobel laureate shared the story on The Graham Norton Show
- Malala’s parents also panicked over her photo with David Beckham
Malala Yousafzai said her mum shouted at Prince Harry when they met at Wembley in 2014, right after his 'We Day' talk. They were taking a photo and Harry put his arm on her shoulder. Her mum stepped in and said “remove” and pushed his hand off. “When I met Prince Harry, he put his arm very respectfully around my shoulder for a picture,” she said. “My mum goes after him and says, ‘Remove.’ She literally shoved his hand off.” Malala said it still makes her laugh. She told the story on The Graham Norton Show while plugging her book Finding My Way.
Malala Yousafzai shared the story of meeting Prince Harry on The Graham Norton Show Getty Images
Why Malala’s parents disapproved of David Beckham photo
Malala said there was another time her parents got angry. At the 2013 Pride of Britain Awards, Malala got the Teenager of Courage trophy from David Beckham. They took a few photos, and that caused some noise back home. Relatives saw the photos of her standing "close together" with a man who wasn't family.
Malala said her parents "went mad" when conservative relatives phoned up complaining. She pushed back, though, telling them: "Firstly, I am 17 and secondly, that’s David Beckham.” Her mum, Toor Pekai, especially wanted her to stick to Pakistani ways, even after they’d moved to London.
Malala Yousafzai said her mother scolded Prince Harry at Wembley in 2014Getty Images
Finding her voice in Finding My Way
Her book Finding My Way talks about family pressure and how she started making her own choices. She said it’s just her talking about feeling lost, making friends, trying to figure herself out.
She laughed remembering how she changed her clothes at university. “If I wore my shalwar kameez, everyone would stare,” she said. “So, I just Googled ‘Selena Gomez casual’ and copied that.” But when photos of her in skinny jeans surfaced, her parents got calls again. “People were criticising me for wearing jeans,” she said. “I told them I’m at college, not a cultural exhibition.”
What’s next?
Malala said she still travels with security and accepts that it may always be that way. “So far, yes,” she told Norton when asked if that will ever change. She also spoke about surviving the Taliban attack at age 15 and being brought to Birmingham for treatment. “The people who tried to silence me failed,” she said. “I completed my education. That’s when I felt I’d won.”
The Graham Norton Show goes out on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday night at 10.40.
