**Prince Harry Nearly Got His “Dream” Tattoo During Wild Las Vegas Trip: A Story Resurfaced Amid Recent Tattoo Stunt**
*Published Oct. 1, 2025, 7:40 p.m. ET*
Prince Harry, 41, once came close to getting his “dream” tattoo during a notorious 2012 trip to Las Vegas — a story now resurfacing after he was recently seen participating in a tattoo stunt at a New York parlor.
In his memoir *Spare*, Harry recounted how, during that wild trip to Nevada, he was determined to commemorate the holiday with body ink. Fueled by alcohol and the thrill of freedom, he chose to get a map of Botswana tattooed on the sole of his foot.
### A Tattoo Plan Born in Sin City
However, Harry’s friends intervened, insisting that no prince should wake up with a permanent reminder of a night out in Sin City. A source close to the duke revealed, “Harry genuinely wanted the tattoo — to him, it symbolized both his connection to Botswana and living in the moment. His friends, though, saw it as a bad idea and stepped in, convinced he’d regret it later.”
### Friends Put Their Foot Down
In *Spare*, Harry explained his tattoo placement debate: the shoulder was too visible, the lower back too provocative, but the sole of his foot seemed perfect.
“Layers upon layers of symbolism,” he wrote, recalling how he wandered down the Las Vegas Strip searching for a tattoo parlor with an atlas of Africa. His friends, however, had other ideas. “Absolutely not,” they told him.
Harry recalled their threats to “hold me down, knock me out, whatever it took” to stop him from going through with it. Ultimately, he abandoned the plan and joined his entourage at a nightclub, admitting to sulking over the missed tattoo.
### Ink Fascination Resurfaces in New York
More than a decade later, Harry’s fascination with tattoos hasn’t faded. Last year, he was spotted entering East Side Ink in Manhattan alongside American country star Jelly Roll, sparking rumors that he had finally decided to get inked.
It was later revealed the scene was staged as part of a promotional sketch for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. In the short film, Jelly Roll jokingly inks Harry, who pretends to be getting his first tattoo.
The prank showcased the royal exile’s playful side but also revived memories of that Vegas trip. An insider said, “The stunt brought back memories of Harry’s long-standing curiosity about tattoos. Even though it wasn’t real, it reminded people of that night in Las Vegas when he nearly went through with it.”
### A Dream Deferred, Not Forgotten
Harry’s 2012 weekend in Nevada is remembered more for scandalous photos leaked from a game of strip billiards than for his unfulfilled tattoo dream. Yet, his memoir highlighted how seriously he considered the tattoo at the time, viewing it as a symbol of his independence.
Though he never followed through with the Botswana design, Harry admitted the idea lingered. “The tattoo could wait till the next day,” he recalled in *Spare* — though that day has not come… yet.
https://radaronline.com/p/prince-harry-blocked-dream-tattoo-new-york-parlor/
