Prince Harry ‘threw a fit’ and cut Dominic West out of his life: Friend reveals details of Crown star’s fall-out with the royal after the actor said he stopped speaking to him after saying duke drank champagne out of a false leg
The Crown star Dominic West was such a good friend of his fellow Old Etonian, the Duke of Sussex, that they headed to the South Pole together to support the Walking for the Wounded charity.
However, now West has confirmed that he has been cut off by Prince Harry.
Last year, a close friend of the actor told me he had fallen out with the Prince after West's revelations at a good-natured joint press conference following their expedition with wounded servicemen and women, including double amputees.
One of the anecdotes West related was how they had toasted their victory over the elements by drinking champagne from the prosthetic legs of one of their fellow adventurers.
“Harry threw a lot,” West's friend told me in May 2022. “He accused Dominic of invading his privacy. Dominic told him not to be ridiculous. They haven't spoken since.'
Dominic West accompanied the Duke of Sussex on an ambitious journey when they both took part in the Walking With the Wounded charity event in 2013
The participants each trekked for a total of three weeks to reach the South Pole
West plays the then Prince Charles in the Netflix hit show The Crown, which Harry previously said he was watching
Even more bizarre is that Harry, 39, has since taken action against anyone he suspects is a friend of the actor, the source said.
At the 2014 press conference, West spoke candidly about how the team had celebrated after completing their 205-mile trek the previous year.
'Two of the Aussie lads stripped off and ran around the post, but most of us, including Harry, just went off for two days with the Icelandic truck drivers who had brought with them a deadly homebrew.'
He added: 'A lot of liquor was drunk. We all drank champagne [one of the team’s] favorite prosthetic legs.'
Now West, 54, who starred in The Wire and The Affair, has said of their broken friendship: 'We're a bit [lost touch because] I said too much at a press conference, and we haven't spoken since.”
In a radio show interview, West, who played King Charles in the hit Netflix royal drama, was pressed to explain their fallout.
Referring to the Walking With the Wounded tour, West said, “I think I was asked what we did. [And] what we did to celebrate when we got there and [I] probably said too much.'
At a 'welcome home' press conference attended by West, he told how the then 29-year-old Prince had skills that helped the Commonwealth team on the journey, including mucking out to help build the latrines.
When he was pushed during the celebration of reaching the South Pole, West made a mistake
Prince Harry takes down his tent as he joins the Walking with the Wounded team
The Wire actor told the press conference at the time that Harry was 'a very cool guy, very much part of the team'
Prince Harry and Dominic West (pictured) became close during the grueling trek but have not spoken since the press conference
But after being asked how the team celebrated the end of the trip, West admitted that Harry drank champagne from a prosthetic leg and made “eye-wateringly crude jokes.”
The actor told the press conference at the time that Harry was 'a very cool guy, very much part of the team'.
He continued, “He often reached the rendezvous point before the rest of his men and built these incredibly lavish crenellated latrines, with battlements and toilet paper holders.
'It took him at least 40 minutes to build, they were just fantastic. I often sat on the latrine and thought, 'This is a royal flush in every sense!'
'Harry also helped me a lot when I had problems with my skis in the beginning. He was a great guy.'
Earlier this month, the actor revealed that he stopped his 15-year-old son, Senan West, from playing the young Prince William on the show because he was uncomfortable with the season 6 storyline.
'I wasn't really looking forward to doing the scene at Balmoral [Castle], telling a boy that his mother has passed away,” West explained, adding that his son “did a great job; job as teenage William from the previous series.
'They invited Senan back because he was doing so well, and he was great, but I was a little bit concerned about that. It was unfair of me because he wanted to do it, but I honestly wouldn't have wanted that.”
West accompanied the Duke of Sussex on an ambitious journey when they both took part in the Walking With the Wounded charity event in 2013.
Prince Harry remained formally present at the 2014 press conference, saying: 'Inspiring others is one of the cornerstones of this charity.
“To show those who have suffered life-changing injuries that anything is still possible.
“That this truly incredible achievement from everyone behind me… will remind everyone that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
'Our wounded, wounded and sick [servicemen] they just want to be treated the same way they were before they were injured. With respect.
West told Times Radio he “said too much” about Prince Harry's celebrations on reaching the South Pole
'For some the journey may be more challenging and it is up to us to make it as easy as possible for them. We can do that with training, with work, or even with adventure.
“If anyone has the opportunity to give these boys and girls a leg up in terms of employment, please do so. You will have no regrets.'
His teammate Duncan Slater added: “Harry was a real team player. There was always something to do and he always encouraged it.
'There were so many gusts of wind. He probably spread himself quite thin. He spent time with every team every day.
“He always made sure to blend in, bringing everyone to the forefront. It was a lot of fun because he was just as tired as everyone else. '
Referring to the champagne antics, he said: 'We decided to use my legs as a primitive ice bucket. I don't know why we did it, but we did it!'
During the 2013 Walking With The Wounded Virgin Money South Pole Allied Challenge, soldiers skied 330 kilometers through some of the most inhospitable conditions known to man, with temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees and biting winds.
Each man and woman – some of whom were double amputees – also had to pull a custom-made pool sled, known as a pulk, weighing more than 11 stone, with their equipment in hand.
The terrain was so challenging that organizers were forced to suspend the racing element of the tour and group all participants together for safety.
The teams spent a total of four weeks in Antarctica, including the acclimatization period and the end of the expedition. The trek started on December 1 and the teams reached the South Pole on Friday, December 13.
Prince Harry celebrated their arrival, declaring: “I think we'll have a few whiskeys tonight!”