Prince Harry has made a lot of changes since he met Meghan Markle, and now that the two are married and expecting their first child, and his core group of friends has also been revised to exclude childhood friend and “wingman,” Tom “Skippy” Inskip.
Tatler shared the story of Inskip’s extraction from Prince Harry’s inner circle, and though many people are blaming Duchess Meghan, ultimately it was the prince’s decision. Sources say that Skippy advised Prince Harry not to marry Meghan, which would end their days of drinking and carousing, but he did, and now Inskip is out of the loop.
But palace sources suggest that Inskip shouldn’t blame Markle, as it was the prince’s call.
“Harry’s a proud man, and a sensitive man. He’d be very upset at the idea of people criticizing his wife. He’s utterly besotted.”
Before Meghan, and before Inskip’s Jamaica wedding, Prince Harry and Skippy did the wingman thing, two redheaded peas in a pod, but after the royal wedding, the dynamic changed. Inskip and his new wife were invited to the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but he was bumped from the evening affair at Frogmore House.
#News Prince Harry Harry was made to ‘banish’ former wingman Tom Inskip, Tatler claims – Daily M #BreakingNews https://t.co/TaUOuANCPy pic.twitter.com/yBdGYfH0od
— Mark Mantra (@meditaudios) March 26, 2019
A Kensington Palace source says that Inskip’s first hint that he was no longer on the inside came with his invitation.
“Harry is now less in with his old Gloucestershire set than he used to be. Although Skippy was invited to the couple’s wedding, alongside many of Harry’s old friends he was edged out of the reception at Frogmore House in favor of big celebrities.”
Inskip will continue to pay the price for telling Prince Harry not to marry Duchess Meghan. Tom “Skippy” Inskip has paid the ultimate price, which is “banishment,” says The Daily Mail . Prince William also suggested that his brother should “slow down,” which might explain the current temperature of their relationship.
Tom Inskip was by Prince Harry’s side during some of his more notorious moments, including that party in Las Vegas in 2012 where the Duke of Sussex was photographed sans clothing while playing “strip billiards.”
Also “airbrushed out” of the inner circle was Astrid Harbord, a PR bigwig and member of the prince’s former party posse. Harbord was linked romantically to Prince Harry back in 2009. The palace source says that anyone who was deemed a bad influence on the prince was pushed out.
“It’s all part of Meghan’s quiet airbrushing out of Harry’s old posse. She doesn’t want temptation – of any sort – being put in his way while they concentrate on starting a family.”
