Prince Harry's first solo overseas tour in the Caribbean and Brazil has helped bury his reputation as the British royal family's enfant terrible - and showcase his sense of fun.

Harry's week-long tour to mark his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee year has been widely praised in Britain for its relaxed maturity.

Now 27, Harry was an unknown quantity on the global stage, but royal author Penny Junor said the trip - carefully designed to play to the sport-loving prince's strengths - had been a huge success.

"I think he has played a blinder on this tour and he's shown a lot of people who thought of him as not much more than a party prince that he can and will be a real asset to the royal family," Junor told AFP.

Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: AFP, Reuters)