Boris Johnson’s “hopeless” attempt to convince Prince Harry to stay in the UK
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims he was asked to convince Prince Harry to stay in the United Kingdom, suggesting that senior officials believed he could prevent Harry from moving abroad.
According to the BBC,
Boris Johnson was part of a last-minute attempt to discourage the Duke of Sussex from leaving his royal life in the UK, according to the former prime minister’s soon-to-be-published memoir.
Johnson delivered what he calls a “manly pep talk” to Prince Harry on the sidelines of a UK-Africa investment summit in London in January 2020, according to Unleashed, the memoir being serialised in the Daily Mail.
It was a “totally hopeless” task, suggests Johnson, with Prince Harry already on the verge of leaving the country.
The man who was famous for Brexit could not make the young prince a remainer.
The event was about UK investment in Africa and improving education there. Prince Harry was involved in a charity in Lesotho, and both Meghan and Johnson supported girls’ education.
The encounter was not a meeting of minds, but it explains what was reported as a 20-minute private discussion between Johnson and Prince Harry.
Johnson tried to discourage Prince Harry from leaving his royal life in the UK.
It was a time of great interest in Prince Harry and his rift with the Royal Family. The meeting with Johnson occurred the day after Harry said he had “no other option” but to step down from his royal role.
Johnson, according to his quotes, suggests he was acting on behalf of Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. He writes about the “ridiculous business” of trying to persuade Harry to stay, describing the effort as “totally hopeless”.
Despite Johnson’s efforts, Prince Harry remained firm in his decision. The memoir suggests that both Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street had enlisted Johnson to persuade Prince Harry, viewed as an asset to the UK. However, the former prime minister eventually admitted that his attempt was in vain.