Just a day before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure to North America, it has been revealed that Boris Johnson, the then-Prime Minister, urged the Duke of Sussex not to leave his homeland.
This last-ditch attempt, described as “hopeless” by Mr Johnson, was made at the request of Buckingham Palace and Downing Street officials. The former PM is set to disclose this in his upcoming memoir about his turbulent years in power.
Titled ‘Unleashed’ and due for release on October 10, the book is said to offer an inside look into a “ridiculous” period in British Government history.
Senior officials from Whitehall and the Royal household reportedly asked Boris to give Prince Harry a “manly pep talk” in January 2020. This was when the Duke was considering leaving the UK, citing invasions of his privacy and attacks on his family.
The Telegraph reports that the former Prime Minister found himself in this awkward position shortly after his landslide victory in 2019. In his book, Johnson describes the incident as ” a ridiculous business… when they made me try to persuade Harry to stay. Kind of manly pep talk. Totally hopeless.”
It has been revealed that a “manly pep talk” occurred between then-35 year old Prince Harry and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is 20 years his senior, at the UK-Africa investment summit in London. This event marked one of Harry’s last official engagements as a member of the British Royal family, , reports the Express.
The meeting was an eleventh-hour effort following a previous discussion known as the ‘Sandringham Summit’, where Harry, William, Charles, and Queen Elizabeth tried to convince him to remain part of the Royal fold.
At the time, their interaction was described as “an informal ‘catch-up’ chat behind closed doors,” involving only the two men without any political advisors or personal aides present, and was scheduled for a brief 20 minutes.
A confidant of the PM relayed details of the intense encounter to the Daily Mail, noting how Boris Johnson praised Prince Harry as a “great asset” to Britain and expressed appreciation for Meghan’s “great work” in promoting women’s education globallya cause Mr Johnson has openly supported.
“It was a man-to-man conversation, they were totally alone. But Harry wasn’t for turning he was unpersuadable by that point. Boris succeeded in delivering Brexit but even he couldn’t stop Megxit.”
Despite Boris Johnson’s attempt to persuade Prince Harry to stay and continue his Royal duties, history shows that the very next day, the Duke left with his family to start a new life in California.
Despite the challenges Prince Harry’s decision posed for Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family, Her Majesty expressed her support for her grandson’s move. In a statement at the time, she said: “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
Following their relocation to the US, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex generated extensive media coverage and caused considerable consternation within the Royal Family and British government. This began with their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, which included allegations of racism, and continued with the release of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’, detailing claims of mistreatment and rough handling by the establishment.