Prince Harry once came very close to leaving Las Vegas with more than just memories. During a trip in 2012, the Duke of Sussex almost got a tattoo that would have stayed with him for life. The story later appeared in his 2023 memoir Spare, where he admitted that only his friends stopping him prevented a permanent mistake.

Harry explained that the idea took shape after a long day of heavy drinking that began unusually early. Breakfast included Bloody Marys, setting the tone for what would become a chaotic day. By the time evening arrived, he said he was feeling rough and full of impulsive ideas.

He recalled deciding he needed something to commemorate the trip. Something bold. Something symbolic. His mind landed on a tattoo. The design he imagined was the outline of Botswana, a country he has often described as his second home. He planned to have it inked on his foot and felt convinced it was the perfect expression of freedom and living in the moment.

Friends step in before it goes too far

When Harry told his friends about his plan, their reaction was immediate and firm. He wrote that he went to find a friend known as Billy the Rock to announce they were heading for a tattoo studio. Billy simply smiled and said no. The rest of Harry’s mates quickly backed him up.

They told him he would not be getting a tattoo that night. Not on their watch. Especially not a foot tattoo of Botswana. According to Harry, they even joked that they would hold him down or knock him out if they had to. Their reasoning was simple. A tattoo is permanent. Once done, it cannot be undone.

Harry admitted that their arguments and exaggerated threats became some of his last clear memories of that evening. Eventually, he gave in. He agreed the tattoo could wait until the next day. As it turned out, the next day never came and the tattoo was never done.

The group then moved on to continue their night. They headed to a nightclub before returning to their hotel suite with several women they had met. A game of strip poker followed. Photographs from that night later made headlines back in the United Kingdom and caused significant embarrassment for the royal family.

When private moments became public scandal

In Spare, Harry reflected that those photographs became far more permanent than any tattoo could have been. He wrote that the images would never go away. They were lasting. More enduring, he joked, than a foot tattoo of Botswana ever could be.

St James’ Palace was reportedly furious when the pictures were published. Palace officials stated that Harry had been on a private holiday and that his privacy had been invaded. They emphasized that newspapers regulate themselves and that the choice to publish the images ultimately rested with editors. They added that they would make no further comment on the story or on the publication of the photographs.

Reports at the time claimed the palace contacted the Press Complaints Commission in an attempt to prevent British newspapers from printing the images. Despite warnings, one publication eventually ran the photographs.

A year later, Harry addressed the incident publicly. Speaking to the BBC, he admitted he had let himself down. He said he had also let his family and others down. However, he maintained that he had been in a private setting and had expected a certain level of privacy.

In the end, the tattoo never happened. But the story of the near mistake became part of Harry’s own telling of his life. A moment of impulse. Friends who stepped in. And a night in Las Vegas that still follows him years later.