Usually, royal insider intel comes courtesy of anonymous sources close to The Firm, but today, royal fans are getting some on-the-record gossip from the inner circle thanks to singer Joss Stone, whose friendship with Prince Harry dates back 20 years.
The singer and royal had a chance to catch up at the WellChild Awards, where Stone says they chatted about parenthood and the benefits of life in the U.K.
The 38-year-old singer, who met Harry in 2005 at a fundraiser for his father's charity, then known as The Prince's Trust, and was one of the guests in attendance at his 2018 royal wedding to Meghan Markle, told Hello! that it was "really sweet" to see her old friend "after all these years" at the event, which Harry attended during his trip back to the U.K. earlier this month.
Joss Stone arriving at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England.
At the event, Stone revealed that Harry had the opportunity to meet her newborn daughter, Nalima, which kicked off a conversation about parenting.
"He joked about me having four children, saying it’s 'two too many,' or maybe it wasn’t a joke!" Stone shared.
The singer then revealed that Harry proceeded to shift the focus of the conversation, asking about her family's recent move back to the U.K. after living in the United States.
"He also asked about how we were settling back in and was genuinely interested in our move home. He’s just very warm and down to earth, as always," she explained before adding hopefully that the conversation seemed to hint that the royal could be considering a similar move for his own family in the future. "Maybe Harry will move back too. That would be nice."
It may be more than just wishful thinking on Stone's part—she says she and Harry also discussed some of the specific benefits of raising children in the U.K. during their catch-up chat.
"He was saying how wonderful the schools are here and how important community is for children," she added. "It was nice to share that with him because it’s exactly why we felt drawn to come back—for the kids to grow up surrounded by family, friends and a strong sense of belonging and most importantly in a safe environment."
Although Harry has previously stated that he wouldn't feel comfortable bringing his children to the U.K. due to safety concerns, he's also been clear that the idea of not spending time with them in U.K. isn't one he likes.
"I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point," he told the BBC in May. “I miss the U.K., I miss parts of the U.K., of course I do. I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland."
More recently, however, Harry has expressed that bringing his family back to the U.K., at least for visits, is something he's becoming more open to. After his one-on-one meeting with King Charles earlier this month, Harry told The Guardian that the meeting with his father had "definitely brought [the possibility of bringing his family to U.K. for visits] closer."