Split image of Prince Harry with Jake Warren, Nacho Figueras and JJ Chalmers© Getty Images

Prince Harry's squad of close friends - who is in his inner circle?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in Montecito, California

Deputy Online Editor
Updated: April 23, 2024

Prince Harry recently officially made America his home, but despite the fact he's now mingling with Hollywood stars, counting the likes of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry as his neighbours, he still has a base of friends away from his glamorous Montecito home.

From African royals to Strictly Come Dancing contestants, Harry has amassed his friends from a wide range of backgrounds. His friends have been with him for every major milestone in his life, including his wedding to Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel in Windsor in 2018.

WATCH: Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras compete in polo

Read on to find out more about Prince Harry's oldest friends here...

© Dave Benett

Prince Seeiso of Lesotho was one of the few foreign royals who bagged an invite to Harry and Meghan's wedding back in May 2018. Prince Seeiso is the youngest brother of the king of Lesotho. The Duke's most prominent charity is Sentebale, the organisation he co-founded with Prince Seeiso in 2006 to help the most vulnerable children and young people in southern Africa get support to lead healthy and productive lives.

Prince Seeiso also featured in the Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, in which Harry revealed when he was 18 years old he took a trip to Lesotho in Southern Africa whilst dealing with the paparazzi and still grieving for his mother. There he met Prince Seeiso, who hadn't long lost his own mum, and Harry said they quickly "became like brothers". "Lesotho gave me the space and the freedom to breathe, to live and to grow," he said in the show. "I've got a second family out there and a group of friends that literally brought me up."

© Jason Koerner

Nacho Figueras

Nacho has been friends with the Prince for years, and the pair regularly play in charity matches together. In 2017, the Argentine player opened up about Harry and Meghan's relationship. Speaking to HELLO! about the pair's friendship earlier this month, Nacho shared: "It's always great to be with him and doing something we love, which is playing polo. We speak very often, which is amazing to be able to have a friendship that feels like – sometimes we're not together-together – so it's always a good thing to be able to share that with someone."

He attended the royal wedding with his wife Delfina Blaquier. At a Sentebale Polo Cup, Harry and Meghan shared a rare kiss - much to everyone's delight! But their sweet moment was interrupted by Nacho, who was pictured alongside the royal couple following their team's victory. Taking to his Instagram page to share a picture of the photobomb, Nacho joked: "When you wished the trophy would turn into a violin. What an incredible love story."

© Mark Large/ANL/Shutterstock

Tom 'Skippy' Inskip

Tom 'Skippy' Inskip has been friends with Harry since childhood. Both Harry and his then girlfriend, Meghan Markle, were guests at Tom's wedding to Hon Lara Hughes-Young in 2017. Before the royal couple publicly confirmed their romance, the pair were pictured putting on a loving display at the nuptials which were held in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

He is the son of Owen Inskip, a friend of King Charles and David Cameron, while his maternal grandfather was Labour peer Lord Rufus Noel-Buxton.

© Chris Jackson

Jake Warren

Jake and his wife Zoe's daughter Zalie Warren was a bridesmaid at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding. The Warren family have long been connected to the royal family; Jake's father John Warren was the late Queen's racing manager. The father-and-son team run Highclere Stud in Newbury together.

© Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Charles van Straubenzee

The royal has been friends with Charlie ever since they attended Ludgrove Prep School in Berkshire as children. It's believed that Charlie and his older brother, Thomas van Straubenzee, were ushers at Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle.

Charlie's friendship with Harry has been well documented over the years, with the pair often photographed together on multiple occasions, including the Rugby World Cup in 2015. Both Harry and Meghan attended Charlie's wedding to Daisy Jenks in Surrey in August 2018.

© Max Mumby/Indigo

Thomas van Straubenzee

Thomas is one of Prince Harry and William's closest and long-time pals, having attended Ludgrove prep school with the pair. He married Lady Melissa Percy in 2013 - a wedding which was attended by most of the royal family - and he later became Princess Charlotte's godfather. Both Harry and William are patrons of a memorial fund launched in tribute to Henry, Thomas' brother, who died in a car accident in 2002.

© Andrew H. Walker

Arthur Landon

He is one of Britain's wealthiest young men, having inherited his money when his father Brig. Tim Langdon died in 2007. The film-maker, who has also dabbled in modelling, is a close friend to both Harry and William. He attended Prince William and Princess Kate's wedding in 2011, and was later a guest at Harry's nuptials.

Arthur was educated at Ampleforth and Bristol University. He joined Harry on the headline-grabbing trip to Las Vegas, but says he wasn't present when the photos were taken.

© Karwai Tang

Guy Pelly

Guy helped organise William's bachelor party. A well-known nightclub owner, Guy is famously tight-lipped about his princely pals. Both Princes attended his nuptials to Elizabeth Wilson in 2014. Guy's mum Lady Carolyn Herbert was close friends with the late Princess Diana. Despite his partying reputation, Guy is one of Prince Louis' godfathers.

© Mark Cuthbert

The Duke of Westminster

The Duke of Westminster is one of the richest people in the world, and his family have strong ties with the British royals. His mother, Natalia Grosvenor, is Prince William's godmother, and Hugh himself is godfather to Prince George. Although the Duke prefers to live his life out of the spotlight, he made headlines with his 21st birthday party which was rumoured to have cost £5 million at Eaton Hall.

Despite the pair's closeness, Harry is not due to be a guest at the Duke's upcoming wedding, as the nuptials will take place days after Harry's daughter Lilibet turns three.

© Chris Jackson

JJ Chalmers

Prince Harry shares a close bond with JJ Chalmers. The duo first crossed paths when they were both in the military, and JJ has since been a key player in the Invictus Games. 

Harry and JJ reunited in Dusseldorf at the 2023 Invictus Games. The pair could be seen sharing a laugh as they watched a wheelchair basketball match between Team UK and Ukraine. Whilst JJ hasn't lifted the lid on their close bond, he did share a glimpse inside their family friendship during an interview with Radio Times in July 2022. 

Opening up, the former Royal Marine revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan's son, Archie, is a huge fan of the hit children's television series, The Octonauts, and that his own son, James, also has a soft spot for the popular animated show. "I know that Archie loves The Octonauts and my son James loves it, too. The kids are a similar age and have similar interests," he revealed.

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