When Harry meets Manny

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao is going to London – not to visit the Queen but to chat with her grandson Prince Harry.

Organizers of the meeting, however, said there’s a chance that the Filipino boxing idol will get to meet Queen Elizabeth II, after whom Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee named one of their two daughters.

Pacquiao’s younger daughter is nicknamed Queenie while the elder one is named Princess. 

The boxing champion himself broke the news on GMA’s “24 Oras,” saying the trip, to be highlighted by dinner at Buckingham Palace, would take place later this month.

“Naka-schedule ako pumunta sa (I am scheduled to go to) London to have dinner with him,” Pacquiao said, referring to Prince Harry.

Reports say the meeting could take place on Jan. 22.

Pacquiao said he’s not sure yet what the topic would be when he meets Prince Harry although there’s a wide range of issues they could work on.

They both have a military background.

The 30-year-old prince is a captain in the British Army. It was reported that he was once secretly deployed in Afghanistan.

It was also reported that Prince Harry helped troops in Gurkha repel an attack by Taliban forces, and did patrol duty in hostile areas.

Pacquiao is a lieutenant colonel in the Philippine Army Reserve and just recently he was promoted to honorary commodore in the Philippine Coast Guard.

Of course, they can talk about sports, boxing in particular.

Prince Harry is into polo, skiing and motocross, and loves football and rugby. But he sure knows Pacquiao, the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight classes.

They can talk about the elusive Floyd Mayweather fight.

Pacquiao had been to the White House in 2011 to meet President Barack Obama. A couple of times, he also came to meet former US President Bill Clinton.

But it’s the first time Pacquiao will meet a member of the royal family. 

Prince Harry is the second son of Prince Charles of Wales and the late Princess Diana. He is fourth in the line of succession to the British throne behind his father, his brother Prince William and Prince George.

The second-term congressman from Sarangani has also been invited to sit as one of the judges in the Miss Universe pageant in Florida on Jan. 25.

Pacquiao said he has yet to formally accept the invitation.

The reigning WBO welterweight champion may be torn between the Miss Universe pageant and the dinner at Buckingham Palace.