While Prince Harry’s recent trip to New York City was filled with engagements supporting his philanthropic work, the Duke of Sussex also took time to visit one of the city’s oldest tattoo parlors on the Lower East Side.
A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows the Duke leaving East Side Ink, where he spent approximately an hour inside. However, when asked for details, East Side Ink owner Josh Lord declined to confirm specifics. “I couldn’t tell you anything about anyone that stopped by without their permission. We would respect anyone’s privacy in the exact same way,” Lord told the Daily Mail. “A tattoo is a deeply personal choice… anything that happens here is your private moment.”
Speculation about whether Prince Harry got a tattoo remains unconfirmed, but if he did, he would not be the first member of the royal family to do so. His cousin, Princess Eugenie, has a small circle tattoo behind her ear, while their great-great-grandfather, King George V, was said to have had a large dragon tattoo. Additionally, Lady Amelia Windsor is known for her tattoos, including a tiger on her back and leaves along her ribcage.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry shared an amusing story about nearly getting a tattoo in Las Vegas. Reflecting on his desire for a memento to mark a trip, he wrote, “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! Maybe on my shoulder? No, too visible. Lower back? No, too…racy. Maybe my foot? Yes. The sole of my foot! Where the skin had once peeled away. Layers upon layers of symbolism! Now, what would the tattoo be? What’s important to me? What’s sacred? Of course—Botswana.” Ultimately, he did not get the tattoo, choosing to leave the idea behind.
While it remains unclear whether Prince Harry got inked during his visit to East Side Ink, his visit has certainly sparked curiosity, adding another layer of intrigue to his ongoing public journey.
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