Johnson's 'hopeless' bid to persuade Prince Harry to stay

Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, made an effort to persuade Prince Harry to reconsider his decision to leave his royal duties. This attempt took place during a meeting at an investment summit in London, which occurred in January 2020. Johnson shared details of this encounter in his forthcoming memoir, where he describes his conversation with Prince Harry as a 'manly pep talk'. However, Johnson himself believed that this was a 'totally hopeless' endeavor, as Prince Harry was already on the brink of departing from his royal life. The meeting happened just after Prince Harry had delivered a speech outlining his plans to step down from his royal responsibilities. Johnson, who is well-known for his involvement in Brexit, found it impossible to convince the young prince to remain in the UK. The meeting was intended to be a private discussion between the two men, without any aides present. At that time, there was significant public interest in Prince Harry and his complicated relationship with the Royal Family. The day before their meeting, Prince Harry had expressed that he felt he had 'no other option' but to step down from his royal role. According to Johnson's account, he attempted to persuade Prince Harry to change his mind, suggesting that he was acting on behalf of Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. Johnson described the situation as 'ridiculous', stating that it was a 'kind of manly pep talk' that ultimately proved to be 'totally hopeless'. As of now, there has been no official comment from Prince Harry's representatives or Buckingham Palace regarding this meeting. This encounter between Boris Johnson and Prince Harry highlights an unexpected intersection between the political and royal realms, adding another layer to the narrative of how Prince Harry and Meghan chose to leave the UK. Interestingly, this meeting was not mentioned in their Netflix documentary or in Prince Harry's own memoir. It remains unclear whether Johnson was offering relationship advice based on his own experiences. A month after this meeting, Johnson announced his engagement to Carrie Symonds, and they were expecting a child together. Despite Johnson's attempts to dissuade him, Prince Harry was resolute in his decision to leave. The night before their meeting, he spoke candidly about wanting to live a life that was different from his royal duties, emphasizing that he was speaking 'not as a prince or a duke but as Harry'. This family drama unfolded alongside the Africa investment summit, and when Prince William hosted a reception for summit guests at Buckingham Palace that evening, Prince Harry chose not to attend, as he was preparing to leave for Canada. Since then, he has relocated to California with his family, although he continues to visit the UK for various events. Reports indicate that in his efforts to keep Prince Harry from leaving, Johnson praised him as a valuable asset to the UK and acknowledged his contributions, such as his work with the Invictus Games, which supports military veterans. The summit focused on UK investments in Africa, and both Prince Harry and Meghan were involved in charitable initiatives in the region. Much has changed for both Prince Harry and Boris Johnson since that brief encounter in London. They have both experienced significant public fallout with their respective organizations. Recently, Prince Harry has participated in several events in New York, where he addressed serious issues, including the dangers of social media for young people. He also had a lighthearted moment when he was asked if he was afraid of pandas, prompting speculation about how different things might have been if he had heeded Boris's advice. Critics of the former Prime Minister might have had their own thoughts about him during that time. Johnson's memoir, titled 'Unleashed', is scheduled for publication on October 10 by William Collins.