Boris Johnson pleaded with Prince Harry to stay in the UK

LONDON — Boris Johnson tried to persuade Prince Harry to remain a senior member of the Royal Family and not quit the U.K.

The former prime minister said he was asked to have a “manly pep talk” with the duke of Sussex to argue it would be wrong to leave the U.K. for a new life in America with his wife Meghan Markle, the duchess of Sussex.

The disclosure comes in Johnson’s forthcoming memoir, in which Johnson says Buckingham Palace and Downing Street officials thought the then-PM could talk Prince Harry out of his decision.

The duke and duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as “senior royals” in January 2020. While keeping their royal titles, they are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness. Since moving to California, the pair have released a Netflix series and launched the Archewell business group.

Johnson writes there was “a ridiculous business … when they made me try to persuade Harry to stay. Kind of manly pep talk. Totally hopeless.”

The meeting took place for 20 minutes that month without any aides at a U.K.-Africa investment summit. It came hours after Prince Harry gave a speech saying he felt “great sadness” about leaving the U.K. but felt he had “no other option.”

“Boris succeeded in delivering Brexit but even he couldn’t stop Megxit,” a “friend” quoted by the Daily Mail, which is serializing Johnson’s memoir from Saturday, said.