Prince Harry has spent much of his adult life trying to find his footing outside the royal bubble. At 41, he still reflects on how his life shifted after he and Meghan Markle moved away from palace life. He’s also been open about his earlier years.
Within the royal family, Harry was often seen as the more easygoing brother who didn’t always fit neatly into expectations, and one infamous night showed that at least his friends knew when to draw a line. As excerpts from his memoir Spare resurface, so does the tale of one wild Las Vegas night.
Prince Harry’s friends wouldn’t let him get a tattoo in Las Vegas
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry revisited a 2012 trip to Las Vegas. He recalled checking into a suite and eating like “kings” at a steakhouse. The next day started with Bloody Marys before heading to a pool party.
After hours of drinking, Harry admitted his thoughts spiraled. “I was in rough shape, and filling up with … ideas.” One idea quickly took hold. “I need something to commemorate this trip, I decided.”
He settled on a tattoo as the perfect souvenir. “For instance … a tattoo? Yes! Just the thing!” Harry chose Botswana for the design, calling the country his second home. He planned to get it inked on his foot.
When Harry told his group of friends, the reaction was immediate. “Absolutely not,” they said. Harry wrote, “In fact, they promised to physically stop me.”
“They promised to hold me down, knock me out, whatever it took,” he continued. “A tattoo is permanent, it’s forever!” The pressure worked. “I gave in. The tattoo could wait till the next day.”
Instead, the night kept going. The group hit a club, then returned to their suite with women they met. A game of strip pool followed, and photos from that night quickly hit tabloids.
“These photos would never go away,” Harry wrote. “They were permanent.” He added they made the tattoo idea look harmless by comparison.
TELL US – WERE PRINCE HARRY’S FRIENDS RIGHT TO STOP HIM FROM GETTING A TATTOO?
