Prince Harry Recounts Selkie ‘Omen’ Swim
Prince Harry has recalled a moment from his memoir in which a Scottish folk tale about “selkies” prompted him and Meghan Markle to sing to seals during a stay in northern Scotland, leaving a member of staff alarmed. The episode, described as a “silly superstition” by the Duke of Sussex, is presented as part of the couple’s reflections on the period shortly before they learned they were expecting their first child, Prince Archie.
During a summer visit to King Charles at the Castle of Mey, Harry wrote that the King told them a legend about selkies—mythical mermaids that take the form of seals—and suggested that singing to them could bring good luck, the Express reported.
In the account, Harry said he and Meghan later spotted seals off the coast and began serenading them, with the Duke claiming the seals “sang back” once Meghan joined in. He wrote that he then stripped off, jumped into the water and swam out to them, before King Charles’s Australian chef warned that the area was known for killer whales and that singing to seals could attract predators.
Harry’s anecdote is one of several personal recollections explored in his recent media projects, including the way he has discussed family tensions in a therapy-themed documentary that revisited his rift with Prince William.
The Duke added that after returning to Nottingham Cottage, Meghan took two pregnancy tests, which he said he kept overnight on his bedside table. He wrote that both tests were positive the next morning and that he regarded the earlier encounter as a good omen as the couple prepared for parenthood.
