Prince Harry and Dominic West were once friends until a South Pole trek changed everything. Photo / AP, Netflix
Prince Harry and Dominic West were once friends until a South Pole trek changed everything. Photo / AP, Netflix
Actor Dominic West - who plays Prince Charles in Netflix’s The Crown - was once a friend of Prince Harry. The two were so close, they trekked to the South Pole together. Now, West has revealed they don’t talk any more.
Speaking to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden and ElizabethHaigh, a close friend of the actor revealed the pair had fallen out after West reportedly “said too much” about Harry publicly.
During a press conference after the 2013 trekking expedition, West, 54, spoke about his time with the royal, telling media how he and Harry had drunk Champagne from a prosthetic leg belonging to one of their co-adventurers.
“Two of the Aussie guys stripped naked and ran round the pole but most of us, Harry included, just went on a two-day bender with the Icelandic truck drivers, who had brought some lethal home brew with them.”
He added: “There was a lot of liquor drunk. We all drank Champagne out of [one of the team’s] favourite prosthetic legs.”
Prince Harry, patron of Team UK in the Virgin Money South Pole Allied Challenge 2013 expedition, and Dominic West make notes of how much each individual and their kit weighs, during preparations in Novo, Antarctica. Photo / Getty Images
However, it wasn’t all recollections of their celebrations; he also praised the Duke of Sussex as “a really cool guy, very much part of the team”.
“He would often reach the meeting point before the rest of his men and would build these incredibly lavish, castellated latrines, with battlements and loo roll holders.
“It must have taken him 40 minutes at least to build, they were just fabulous. I would often sit on the latrine thinking ‘this is a royal flush in every way!” West added, “Harry also massively helped me out when I was struggling with my skis at first. He was a great guy.”
Unfortunately, the comments didn’t appear to sit well with the royal and a source told the Daily Mail in 2022, “Harry threw a s*** fit,” adding, “He accused Dominic of invading his privacy. Dominic told him not to be ridiculous. They haven’t spoken since.”
Dominic West as Prince Charles, Rufus Kampa as Prince William and Fflyn Edwards as Prince Harry in The Crown. Photo / Netflix
The source continued to claim the Prince has cut off anyone he assumes is friends with the actor.
West has previously spoken about his lack of friendship with the Duke of Sussex, telling Times Radio: “We sort of [lost touch because] I said too much in a press conference, and so, we didn’t speak after that,” adding, “I think I was asked what we did. [And] what we did to celebrate when we got there and [I] probably said too much.”
The two completed the trek in 2013 as part of the charity event Walking With the Wounded for which service men and women skied across difficult conditions with temperatures reaching -50C.
In 2014, Harry joined West at the press conference but remained tightlipped on any personal details of the trip, instead telling media, “Inspiring others is one of the cornerstones of this charity, to demonstrate to those who have suffered life-changing injuries that anything is still possible.”
He added, “This truly unbelievable achievement by everyone behind me ... will remind everybody that they can achieve anything they want to.”
