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Prince Harry spent several days in New York City, attending events related to two high-profile occasions: UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week. Rumor has it the Duke of Sussex may have also gotten inked during his visit. But the shop’s staff remained silent when questioned about his visit.

Prince Harry’s tattoo parlor visit

On Sept. 25, 2024, Prince Harry visited the East Side Ink tattoo parlor in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, reports The Mail. The outlet spoke to the store’s owner, Josh Lord. He didn’t give specific details about whether or not the Duke of Sussex added body art. 

“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 revealed.

He continued, “A tattoo is a deeply personal choice. Anything that happens here is your private moment.” Harry was said to have entered the shop with personal security and members of the NYPD.

It was not revealed whether Harry was inked at the shop. Later that day, while taping a segment for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, any indication of a new tattoo went unseen.

Do any royal family members have tattoos?

Princess Eugenie tattoo
Princess Eugenie tattoo | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Typically, members of the British royal family do not have tattoos. The clan is conservative and don’t have many body modifications other than pierced ears for women.

Before this visit, and assuming he did get a tattoo, Prince Harry joined a small circle of royal family members who have body ink. Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, has a small tattoo of a black circle behind her left ear. 

Lady Amelia Windsor, one of the Duke of Kent’s granddaughters, is also known to have a number of tattoos. However, she isn’t a high-ranking royal and, therefore, doesn’t have to adhere to the stricter rules of senior members of the family.

Why was Prince Harry in New York City?

Prince Harry was in New York City during the week of September 22. “During UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week in New York City, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will be in town to advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives,” a spokesperson for Prince Harry said of his schedule, as reported by Town & Country.

The statement continued, “He will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst. In addition, he will be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex. More details will be shared as we approach the week of events.”

During his visit to New York City, the Duke of Sussex attended the “Every Child Protected” dinner hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO). He also spoke on a panel at the Concordia Summit, an organization connected to The Diana Award named for his mother, Princess Diana.

Harry attended an event for the HALO Trust, a cause also championed by Diana. He followed that by appearing at the Clinton Global Initiative, where he spoke about The Archewell Foundation’s Parents’ Network. Finally, Harry spoke at an event hosted by the Lesotho delegation to the UN and celebrated the fifth anniversary of Travalyst.

Prince Harry has returned to the United Kingdom, where he will attend the WellChild Awards. He has been a patron of the organization for the past 15 years.