“He hasn’t said no, and he definitely expressed a curiosity," East Side Ink owner Josh Lord exclusively tells PEOPLE about the possibility of the Duke of Sussex getting a real tattoo
Prince Harry’s mysterious visit to a tattoo parlor during his September trip to New York City left many questions unanswered. But the world now knows what was unfolding inside the Lower East Side shop.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, was filming a promo for the upcoming Invictus Games at East Side Ink, one of the oldest tattoo shops in N.Y.C.
In the hilarious video, which dropped on Nov. 18, Harry is seen sitting in a chair, awaiting his tattoo artist, when country superstar Jelly Roll unexpectedly appears. The two share a lighthearted back-and-forth, eventually striking a deal: Jelly, 39, will tattoo Harry in exchange for his commitment to perform at the Invictus Games closing ceremony in February in Canada. After some playful banter about where Harry should get the ink ("I was thinking lower back or on my ass,” Harry jokes), Jelly declares, “We gotta go for the neck!” Inspired by the Invictus Games' "I Am" logo, the singer Roll tattoos "I Am Jelly Roll" in the same style.
The artist behind the fake ink (yes, it’s fake!) is Josh Lord, owner of East Side Ink, who appears at the start of the video with Harry.
“This is all in honor of the Invictus Games,” Lord exclusively tells PEOPLE, referring to the international adaptive sports event Harry founded in 2014 for wounded and sick service personnel and veterans. “When they asked me to be a part of it, I was thrilled. I had no idea I would get to be in the video as much as I was. It was an exciting thing to be a part of. ”
In addition to appearing in the video, Lord, who is known for his intricate, customtattoos and countsCate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry as clients,also designed the fake tattoo on Harry’s neck.
“Luckily, I have a long history with fake tattoos, and they hadn’t originally planned for that part of it, so I was able to provide a small level of assistance,” says Lord, who won an Emmy for his realistic work on the first season of HBO's True Detective.
As for who decided the tattoo should go on Harry’s neck, Lord says, “Jelly is fearless and Harry knew it had to be epic, so they had a true moment where they both knew where it had to go after all the jokes.”
So, did Harry stick around after filming to get his real first tattoo? Not yet, but Lord isn’t ruling it out.
“He hasn’t said no, and he definitely expressed a curiosity," he shares.
And in a room full of tattoo artists with more jaw-dropping stories than they ever imagined sharing in front of royalty, Lord reveals that Harry was the biggest surprise of all.
"Absolutely, the person who was unexpectedly the funniest was Harry," he says. "Here we are, a room full of people who have seen some things, but Harry was probably the bravest and funniest of all of us, really. Behind the scenes, he’s got comedic chops that I didn’t expect."
Including Harry’s believable scream when the needle hits his neck. “That was the first take!” Lord says with a laugh.
“He’s a very laid-back, normal guy if you let him be,” he continues. “I can’t imagine the world that he grew up in and how difficult it must have been, but he’s managed to maintain a level of humanity and kindness in everything he does, which is remarkable.”
Robyn McVicker, Chief Operating Officer of the Invictus Games, tells PEOPLE that the concept for the video "didn't take a lot of convincing" for Harry and Jelly Roll.
"They were both going to be in New York — I think there was a crossover of about two hours —and their teams put it in front of them and they both were game," she says. "They were so excited to be able to connect. The Duke was thrilled to have Jelly Roll agree to play at the closing ceremony."
As for Lord's role, McVicker says he was the real "star of the show."
"He was so awesome and really created a safe space for everybody just to hang out and pull off what I think is one of the most hilarious announcement videos," she says.
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The celebrated tattoo artist shares that they all aimed to bring an “element of levity” to a serious issue—the well-being of veterans, which is central to the Invictus mission. The cause is equally important to those at East Side Ink. Lord, along with his partners Yadira Mendez-Firvida and Jen Terban-Hertell, is involved with the veteran-operated nonprofit SAR Flag (Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Flag), which works to break the stigma surrounding mental health, suicide, and seeking treatment within the veteran community, ultimately supporting suicide prevention efforts for veterans and military personnel.
“We can’t fully comprehend the mental stress they endure,” Lord says of veterans. “I can only hope that this moment I was part of helps shine a light on this critical issue.”
