Prince Harry pictured 'in his underpants'

Undie-neath the covers ... Prince Harry on the magazine's front page.

A US magazine has controversially depicted Prince Harry in his underwear.

The cover of Radar magazine's September issue shows the playboy prince reclining bare-chested on a throne, with beer cans littering the floor.

The mock-up photo of the 22-year-old accompanies an article which bills the prince as a "skirt-chasing, hard-partying royal pain".

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Radar spokesman Adam Raymond said that the created cover shot - which saw the prince's head placed on the body of a model - was a valid way to present the media-shy prince.

"We thought it was just a fun way to poke a bit of fun and illustrate the way Harry is behind closed doors," he told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

The article catalogues the prince's heavy drinking, clashes with photographers and dalliances with young women in nightclubs, as well as highlighting the royal family's bid to clean up his wild-child image.

Mr Raymond said he did not agree with the palace's decree to the media to leave Prince Harry and his older brother William alone.

"Certainly they (William and Harry) should not be untouchable - especially considering the amount they put themselves in the public eye by going out and going wild," he said.

"They are young, good-looking, powerful and rich - all things that America obsesses over - so we were interested in doing something big on him."

The monthly magazine is known for its irreverent mix of articles on entertainment, fashion, politics and general human interest.

In 2005, Radar's scathing article on Tom Cruise and his involvement with the Church of Scientology made headlines around the world.

Mr Raymond said while the covers usually came from sanctioned photo shoots with celebrities that the magazine was profiling, the publication had also previously poked fun of well-known names in other mock-up covers, including President George Bush placing a medal round the neck of Paris Hilton and Colin Farrell lounging on a bed with women.

"I think people are surprised when they see a cover that is not fawning over the subject for a change," Mr Raymond said.

The issue will be released on August 12.