Prince Harry Secretly Visits Tattoo Parlor During Trip to New York City

Rumors are swirling that the Duke of Sussex has some new ink.

Prince Harry giving a thumbs up
(Image credit: Getty Images)

While visiting New York City, Prince Harry made a surprise trip to a local tattoo parlor, sparking rumors the Duke of Sussex is sporting some new ink.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, during the royal's recent trip to the Big Apple to attend and speak at the Clinton Global Initiative, Prince Harry was spotted leaving East Side Ink, a popular tattoo shop, People reports. The outlet confirmed that the Duke of Sussex spent about an hour at the parlor.

A video of the Duke of Sussex posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, leaving the shop made the rounds on social media, sparking online rumors that the royal must have decided to get a new tattoo during his high-profile visit. People did not confirm as to whether or not Prince Harry left the shop with some new ink, so the jury is still out...so to speak.

The tattoo shop is known for servicing Hollywood A-listers and other high-profile clients, including Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Susan Sarandon, Ruby Rose and Bruce Willis, People reports, adding fuel to the speculation that Prince Harry has a new tattoo.

Prince Harry wearing a blue suit and holding a microphone on stage at Clinton Global Initiative event

Prince Harry at the Clinton Global Initiative event in New York City.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As People reports, it is incredibly uncommon (if not even, arguably, slightly taboo) for a member of the royal family to sport a tattoo. It is not, however, unheard of: Princess Eugenie has "a small black circle tattooed behind her left ear," the outlet reports.

Lady Amelia Windsor has not one but multiple tattoos as well, including a trio of bear cubs, a tiger, and a petal.

Of course, a super secret tattoo shop visit is not the only headline Prince Harry made during his visit to the city that never sleeps. While on stage, the Duke of Sussex spoke candidly and passionately about the rise of social media and the undeniable impact it is having on people's mental health.

“These platforms are designed to create addiction," the prince said of social media, adding that kids are “force fed content that no child should be exposed to.”

Prince Harry in a suit speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative

Prince Harry

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"Why do the leaders of these insanely powerful social media companies still refuse to change? Why are we holding them to the lowest ethical standards?"

He noted that "in any other circumstance, a business would commit all resources to fixing the bug," referring to the continual mental health problems stemming from social media use.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.