Wales’ hero striker Hal Robson-Kanu lived next to Princess Di and played with Mick Jagger’s kids

THEY are on the verge of making football history, with only Portugal standing between them and the Euro 2016 final.

But Wales’s unstoppable march into tonight’s semi-final has been led by an ENGLISHMAN who is used to rubbing shoulders with royalty and showbiz greats.

Star striker Hal Robson-Kanu, 27, spent much of his childhood at his grandparents’ 18-room vicarage, next door to Princess Diana and her Kensington Palace home.

His grandad, Rev Ian Leonard Robson, was vicar at Kensington’s St Mary Abbots church, where PM David Cameron and No 10 hopeful Michael Gove attend services.

But Hal has fonder memories of past visitors and members of the congregation, meeting churchgoers including Princess Margaret, Pope John Paul II, King Hussein of Jordan, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and, of course, the Princess of Wales.

Princess Diana lived in the palace next door and I remember coming across her quite a few times when I was a boy

The Dragons’ goal king — who is being cheered on by former Miss Scotland girlfriend Haley Bartlett — told The Sun last night of his life among the English aristocracy.

The striker, who was born in West London but whose grandmother was born in Caerphilly, said: “Princess Diana lived in the palace next door and I remember coming across her quite a few times when I was a boy.

“William and Harry were a bit older than me so I never got to play with them but I met Mick Jagger’s children when my grandfather christened his daughter, Elizabeth.

“The Jagger kids were all about my age and I recall the girls chasing me around wanting to play, but I had no idea who their dad was.

“Mick Jagger was just another parishioner.

“The church attracted many, many powerful people because of its position next to the palace and they all knew my grandparents.

“Not many footballers can say they grew up alongside royalty, celebrities, politicians and rich and powerful people.

“But my grandma would always keep my feet on the ground and introduced me to homeless people as well.

“I had no idea how ­privileged my life was at the time but I had friends from the other side of the tracks as well, so I feel very lucky.”

Hal’s brilliant goal in Wales’s 3-1 quarter-final win over Belgium last week took his tournament tally to two after his group stage heroics against Slovakia.

He does not have a club to go back to once his nation’s run in France comes to an end. He left Championship side Reading last season.

While other footballers cut their teeth on council estate kickabouts, young Hal honed his skills on the manicured lawns of his grandad’s garden next to the palace.

He first realised his talent playing against other parishioners’ children with his brother David beside the church, where he would tease his opponents by effortlessly “nutmegging” them during matches.

Former altar boy Hal said: “David and I would run rings round them but I could never have dreamed I would wind up where I am now — or that I’d play for Wales.

“I knew from those games I had talent and loved having the ball at my feet — I’d even take one into church with me on Sundays.”

Rev Robson — a Newcastle fan originally from Tyneside — started taking Hal to youth league matches and his athletic grandson quickly attracted the attention of talent scouts by scoring 80 goals in a season. But his boisterous play sometimes upset his neighbours and once earned him a ticking off from King Hussein.

He recalled: “The King asked his guards to tell us to be quiet but my nan would say, ‘No, they are kids. They are just playing’.”

On another occasion Hal and David hurled a teddy in the air for fun which ended up dangling from a tree in sight of the King’s ­residence next door.

His bodyguards called at the vicarage the next day. Hal said: “They asked my grandmother, ‘Why are you hanging a dead squirrel from the tree? The King doesn’t like it, can you please take it down.’

“Our nan was so embarrassed but she laughs when she tells the story.”

The vicarage garden had a secret path linking it to Kensington Palace and the brothers became well known to their rich, famous and royal neighbours.

Hal, whose mum Eva married London-based Nigerian lawyer Rechi Kanu, explained: “It was our little escape. They knew who we were as there weren’t too many mixed-raced kids running around in Kensington.”

Rev Robson also took the lad to state garden parties and the ­residences of local ambassadors.

Hal was eventually signed up as a schoolboy by Arsenal, where he met midfield legend Patrick Vieira at the age of ten and trained alongside current England star Jack Wilshere. He joined Reading at 15 and played for the England Under-19s before switching to represent Wales.

Hal said: “When the time came for me to choose which country I was going to play for, we had a family meeting and I knew it had to be Wales for my grandma.

“I knew how much it would mean to her and we’d had so many ­wonderful times there it seemed like a natural choice.

“Now I have no regrets whatsoever after such a fantastic tournament.”

Hal has been flooded with club offers from the Premier League and Europe thanks to his performances in France. He also has a wedding to think about as he and Haley, 24, the mother of his 18-month-old daughter Izabella, plan to marry next year. Not that they are likely to be stuck for a church — or vicar.

Hal’s grandparents now live in Arundel, West Sussex, but returned to the Kensington church to help christen Izabella last year.

Grandad Rev Robson, 84, said ­yesterday: “I remember going to Hal’s sports days where he would win so many events he would have to compete with older year groups, much to older parents’ dismay as he beat them all too.

“Now he has the platform to show the world what he’s capable of.”

Grandma Elizabeth, who fans can thank for delivering their goalscoring hero, added: “I’m very proud of Hal representing our nation.

“He has brought a lot of happiness to people.”