At a Glance
- Prince Harry wanted a Botswana foot tattoo after partying in Las Vegas in 2012
- His friends vowed to “physically stop” him from going through with it
- The Duke later faked a neck tattoo with Jelly Roll for an Invictus Games skit
- Why it matters: The revelation shows how close Harry came to permanent ink and how his friends intervened
Prince Harry once came within minutes of getting his first tattoo, only to be stopped by his own security detail of friends during a wild 2012 Las Vegas trip that later made global headlines.
The Duke of Sussex, now 41, detailed the near-miss in his 2023 memoir Spare, explaining how a day of poolside drinking led to an impulsive decision to commemorate the vacation with permanent body art.
The Tattoo That Almost Was
After a breakfast of Bloody Marys and a day at a pool party, Harry wrote that he was “in rough shape, and filling up with…ideas.”
“I need something to commemorate this trip, I decided. Something to symbolize my sense of freedom, my sense of carpe diem. For instance…a tattoo? Yes! Just the thing!”
His chosen design: the outline of Botswana, the African nation he calls his “second home,” on his foot.
Friends Intervene
Harry located his friend Billy the Rock to share the plan, but the reaction was immediate and unanimous.
“He smiled. No way. My mates backed him up. Absolutely not. In fact, they promised to physically stop me. I was not going to get a tattoo, they said, not on their watch, least of all a foot tattoo of Botswana.”
The intervention escalated quickly:
- They threatened to hold him down
- They promised to knock him out
- They insisted a tattoo is permanent and forever
“Their arguments and threats are one of my last clear memories from that evening. I gave in. The tattoo could wait till the next day.”
The Night Continued
Without the tattoo, the group moved on to a nightclub and eventually returned to their suite with women they’d met. A game of strip pool followed, producing the infamous photos that dominated tabloids worldwide.
“These photos would never go away. They were permanent. They’d make a foot tattoo of Botswana look like a splodge of Indian ink,” Harry reflected in the memoir.
No Real Ink, But a Fake One
Despite having no known tattoos, Harry did visit a New York City tattoo parlor in 2025 for a comedy sketch. He and musician Jelly Roll pretended the Duke was getting a neck tattoo to promote the 2025 Invictus Games.
The video marked Harry’s first public association with tattoo culture, even if the ink was entirely temporary.
Key Takeaways
- Harry’s 2012 Vegas trip nearly ended with permanent Botswana artwork
- Friends physically threatened to stop the tattoo
- The intervention prevented what would have been his only known tattoo
- Harry later participated in a fake tattoo stunt for charity promotion
