Taking a walk on the wild side! Prince Harry let Jelly Roll give him his first “tattoo” in exchange for the singer performing at the 2025 Invictus Games closing ceremony.
In a hilarious new video, Harry, 40, was introduced looking nervous while sitting in a chair at the famed East Side Ink Tattoo in New York City. He asked about when his tattoo artist would arrive, as Jelly, 39 — real name Jason DeFord — came up behind him with a friendly introduction in the Tuesday, November 19, post shared by the Invictus Games’ social media accounts.
The “Save Me” artist told Harry he was such a “fan” and gushed how he couldn’t believe it when he got the call that the royal wanted the singer to give him his first tattoo.
The Duke of Sussex claimed he was there to ask Jelly “to do” the Invictus Games, while the CMA winner said he was there to ink up Harry.
“There’s no tattoo in this! I can’t get a tattoo!” the former working member of the British royal family explained. After Jelly agreed to perform at the games, Harry said, “Screw it. Let’s do it.”
The “Wild Ones” artist suggested inking Harry’s neck, while the royal quickly retorted that he was thinking of having it done on his “lower back or ass.”
“This is for the world,” Jelly told him, as he proceeded to put the tattoo needle up to Harry’s neck.
The son of King Charles III was horrified by the final work, yelling, “What’s that? Dude, it’s enormous,” after being handed a mirror. It reflected back a tattoo on Harry’s neck with the “I Am” Invictus logo, along with Jelly’s signature underneath. Harry let out an, “Oh s–t,” at the results, as the singer promised, “I’ll be there. Appreciate you!” about the games.
“The most [exploding head emoji] inking of a deal in Invictus Games history,” the caption of the post read. “Watch when Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex meets @jellyroll615 @eastsideinktattoo. Don’t miss this duo reuniting in Vancouver #IG25 Closing Ceremony February 16.”
The 2025 Invictus Games will mark the first time the event has held a winter competition, featuring adaptive sporting events including alpine skiing, snowboarding, wheelchair curling and more.
Harry and his brother, Prince William, started the games in 2014 through the Royal Foundation. The British army veteran was inspired after attending the 2013 Warrior Games in the U.S. and seeing how sporting competition helped wounded vets physically and mentally. After the initial games in London, overseeing Invictus became Harry’s primary endeavor.
While Harry’s Invictus tattoo wasn’t permanent, the ones that cover Jelly’s body are.
“I regret 98 percent of these tattoos, 97 percent. Almost all of them!” the “Need a Favor” singer told GQ in a March 12 video.
“Like, core philosophies I rooted my life in when I was 17, and now I’m 40, I’m like, ‘What the f–k was I thinking?’” he explained.
“I don’t know if I really remember my first face tattoo, there’s so many now,” Jelly mused in the video, but admitted there is one facial inking that he has zero regrets about.
“My most meaningful tattoo, as cliché as it is, is probably the big cross. It was symbolic of a change in me, of kind of a new beginning. Understanding that I need to bear my own cross and carry my own cross as the good book says. So that was kind of a constant reminder,” the Grammy nominee said of the large crucifix on his cheek.
