Inside the Gilded World of the Little Boy Who Delighted the Queen at the Derby

When little Mohammed bin Ahmed Jaber Al Harbi approached the Queen for a handshake at the Derby on Saturday, he melted hearts around the world.

Politely doffing his top hat, a video posted on Instagram shows the child beaming broadly, his mission complete, as he walks away - clearly unfazed by his royal encounter.

But now the MailOnline can reveal that far from being an unusual occurrence, Mohammed is no stranger to the company of royalty - in particular his 'best friend', Dubai's Crown Prince Hamdan.

Mohammed is the son of Ahmed Jaber 'AJ' Al Harbi, a close friend of the Emirati prince, and spends much of his time travelling the world with his father and the royal.

Indeed, 32-year-old Hamdan, who is known as Fazza to friends and fans, has an Instagram account peppered with pictures of the child and his sister Hind.



One shows Mohammed's big moment, accompanied by the approving caption "Nothing defines respect better than a proper handshake!", while another shows the two driving home in a Mercedes G55 SUV - average price £145,000.

In it, the little boy, perhaps a little overtired, sits in the back next to his father and looks glum while the prince smiles from the front seat. Last year, all three attended Royal Ascot with both Hamdan and AJ faithfully documenting their exploits on Instagram.

One shot, which shows the Prince and Mohammed arriving at the Berkshire racecourse by - what else? - helicopter, is captioned: "This is Mohammed, my best friend".

Other photos show the pair hanging out in Dubai, the emirate that Hamdan is in line to inherit, and inspecting the prince's stable of endurance horses. Hamdan is a top rider and former world champion, while the International Federation for Equestrian Sports lists a Saeed Ahmed Jaber Al Harbi among the UAE's contingent of registered athletes.

Many are hobbies of Hamdan's. In his native Dubai, the royal is famous for his action man adventures, which range from scuba diving to wing walking and, more mundanely, cycling. The royal, who is also a keen sailor, writes poetry too - many of which are published on his personal website in both written and recorded formats. However, as photos detailing his life reveal, much of Hamdan's time is spent pursuing his sporting passions - usually with AJ and Mohammed in tow.

Close though Mohammed and Hamdan might be, the Emirati Crown Prince isn't the only royal in the little boy's life. As photos posted on Mohammed's own and his father's Instagram accounts show, he is often seen with Dubai's long-serving emir, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Makhtoum. In one touching shot, the little boy is seen being hoisted up by his father for a hug with the 65-year-old royal while another shows him posing for a picture while clutching the emir's hand. But for all his brushes with royalty, Mohammed is most frequently seen with his father who appears touchingly proud of his son's exploits.

He might live a life that most children can only dream of but mop-haired Mohammed is clearly a normal - if precociously confident - little boy at heart.