Boris Johnson says he was asked to give ‘manly pep talk’ to Prince Harry to stay in the UK

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Louise Thomas

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Boris Johnson has claimed he was asked by Buckingham Palace to persuade Prince Harry not to quit royal life or leave the UK.

In the former prime minister’s new book, Unleashed, which will be released on 10 October, Mr Johnson claimed he was asked to give the Duke of Sussex a “manly pep talk” to convince him it would be a mistake to leave Britain.

He said that officials in Downing Street and Buckingham Palace approached him in January 2020, just weeks after he entered office, believing that he might be able to dissuade Prince Harry of his decision in extracts reported in the Daily Mail.

Mr Johnson wrote that there was “a ridiculous business ... when they made me try to persuade Harry to stay. Kind of manly pep talk. Totally hopeless.”

The meeting, which took place on the margins of a UK-Africa investment summit in London’s Docklands, came just hours after Prince Harry announced with “great sadness” that he and Meghan Markle felt they had “no other option” but to step away from royal life.

During the subsequent meeting, the two men met for 20 minutes without aides as Mr Johnson tried to persuade the prince to reconsider.

The following day, however, the duke flew to Canada to be reunited with Ms Markle and their young son, Archie.

The family later moved to Montecito, California, where they remain today, having given up their lives as working royals.

A friend said Mr Johnson “thought [Harry and Meghan] were a great asset to the UK”, adding that the former PM believed “it was a real shame they were leaving when they were doing such great work”.

He highlighted Prince Harry’s efforts on the Invictus Games for ex-serviceman and Ms Markle’s work promoting the education of women and girls in developing countries.

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