Prince Harry and John Travolta may come from very different worlds, with one being a British royal and the latter a Hollywood icon, but their unexpected friendship traces back to a historical family connection.
John famously danced with Princess Diana at the White House in 1985, an iconic moment, with her dress later becoming known as the “Travolta dress.”
Decades later, John and Prince Harry found common ground in honouring Diana’s legacy, with the actor expressing admiration for the prince’s charitable work and the pair spending time together at aviation events.
A source shared with The Telegraph that John and Harry had bonded “like brothers” at the annual Legends of Aviation Awards in Los Angeles on April 27, following on from their years of having a playful relationship.
In 2024, the Prince was presented with an award by John, honoured as a ‘Living Legend of Aviation.’
“This is nice. Thanks very much, Captain John,” Harry began his speech.
“I was one year old when you danced with my mum. As you’ve told everybody here and continue to dine out on that probably every single night.”‘But look at us now! It’s great. So if we’re not going to dance together, we’ll fly together.”
A source shared with Woman’s Day that the pair’s friendship dates back to August 8, 2023.
“Harry first met John over lunch at the Polo Lounge two years ago, and they hit it off straight away. It wasn’t just planes, choppers and fatherhood – or even THAT dance with Diana, John and Harry have both suffered deep emotional losses and recognise the same scars in each other.”
Moving from their UK residence in June 2020, Harry and Meghan became California locals without any nearby family support.
“John’s really stepped in as a surrogate father figure for Harry, who has been floundering, raising a young family on his own, in a city filled with strangers. The timing was perfect too, as he and Meghan had just fallen out with the Beckhams, so John became their new A-list ally in California.
“Harry leans on John for advice on everything from raising kids to ambitious wives. He also loves hearing him gush about his mum,” the source continued.
The pair has crossed paths quite often, but with John living a low-key life mainly in Ocala, Florida, they have not been pictured together.
“There’s a reason why you don’t see John and Harry hanging out in public – John’s always been incredibly private,” the source shared.
“He has no problem with Meghan, but he’s also made it clear to Harry he likes his life drama-free. He’s happy to be a mentor and help Harry through his tough times, but he has no interest in playing Candyland for Meghan’s Instagram.
“John’s a good influence on both Harry and Meghan, who literally worship John. His friendship with Harry has also given Harry leverage in his marriage.”
