Prince Harry turned 25 yesterday, becoming an even more eligible bachelor as he gained access to part of his inheritance from his mother, Princess Diana.

The quarter-century mark denoted a coming of age for the flame-haired prince, who is third in line of succession to the British throne and possesses both his mother's sense of adventure and her common touch.

The younger son of Diana and Prince Charles spent his birthday continuing his pilot training in the Royal Air Force, but he was hardly out of the spotlight.

British news media ran a flood of pictures, showing Harry's steady progression from a toddler in short pants to an earnest soldier in combat gear. At each step - with his easy smile and approachable ways - he reminded many of Diana.

Other sympathetic images included the 12-year-old boy who walked behind his mother's coffin to Westminster Abbey and the confident 24-year-old who spoke movingly at a memorial service in 2007 about "the best mother in the world."

"When she was alive, we completely took for granted her unrivaled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector. She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated," he said.

Harry and his brother Prince William were left equal shares in their mother's estate following her death in a 1997 car crash in Paris. At the time, the shares were estimated to be about $10.6 million each. Diana's estate was comprised mostly of her divorce settlement from Charles.

The Sunday Times Young Rich List - published in April - guessed that Harry and William were each worth 28 million pounds ($46 million). It did not break out how much was related to Diana's estate, and the present value of Diana's estate has not been disclosed.

Under Diana's will, the princes are entitled to all the income from their share when they are 25 and they gain access to the capital at age 30. William is now 27.

Patrick Jephson, who was involved with Diana's finances when he worked as her private secretary, said the princess's money was "very prudently" invested and that Harry will also have access to some of the considerable wealth generated by the Duchy of Cornwall, which is under Prince Charles's control.

"Of all the concerns that a young man in his position might have, money is not one of them, and likely never will be," Jephson said.

As a lieutenant in the British Army, Harry's annual pay is between 29,006 to 32,061 pounds per year ($48,000 to $53,000).

Harry and his brother each have a flat at Clarence House, Charles's official home in London. He is not covered under the government's grant to Queen Elizabeth II, which pays for her and her husband Prince Philips's expenses.

Dickie Arbiter, former royal spokesman and now a commentator, said Harry's new wealth was unlikely to change his life.

"I doubt whether he'll touch the money because he manages quite well with his Army salary. What does he need to spend it on? Very little," Arbiter said on Sky News.