Prince Harry has appeared in a knockabout comedy sketch about getting a tattoo, as he promotes the next round of his Invictus Games.

The prince plays the part of a nervous customer as he faces the prospect of getting a first tattoo from US singer Jelly Roll.

"Alright, screw it, let's go," says the prince, in a video published on social media.

In exchange, the singer says he will appear at the Invictus Games for wounded service men and women, being held in Vancouver in February.

The release of the video might also explain why the prince was seen in a tattoo parlour in New York earlier this year.

Jelly Roll, no stranger to the tattooist's art himself, says he wants to give the prince a tattoo on the neck, as the pair are filmed in the East Side Ink tattoo studio.

"I was thinking of my lower back or my..." as the prince points towards his backside and the captions turn to emojis.

Jelly Roll, who has spent time in jail, promises a small tattoo - which turns out to be a big advert for the games on Prince Harry's neck.

"Commitment prince," urges the singer, when Harry flinches and seems to have that inking feeling.

The comedy video and pretend tattoo, which seem a very long way from anything likely to be published by the royal palaces, are intended to grab attention for this winter's Invictus Games.

Jelly Roll, who has won country music awards, will appear at the closing ceremony in Vancouver on 16 February.