Some photos have cropped up online recently, and in them, Harry Styles is sporting a tiny cross tattoo on the right side of his chest, with an equally tiny letter “B” below it. Some fans have argued that Harry’s “B” cross tattoo isn’t new, and that he’s actually had it for quite some time. In fact, it’s possible that Harry got the tiny cross tat around the same time he had two identical crosses inked on the left side of his chest, one with an “M” below it, and the other with a “K” below it, as the designs of the three tattoos are virtually identical. There are photos of Harry with the “M” and “K” cross tattoos where the “B” cross tattoo is noticeably absent though, so they definitely weren’t inked during the same tattoo session.
While Harry rarely talks about his religious beliefs in public, the pop star often sports a crucifix necklace, which leads us to believe that he identifies as Catholic. He also has a cross tattoo inked between his thumb and index finger on his left hand, and a tattoo of the Holy Bible on the inside of his left forearm, which covers up a previous tattoo that read “Things I can’t.” So it makes sense that he would have a couple other cross tattoos on his body, including this relatively recent cross tat with a “B” on his chest.
There is likely a deeper meaning behind Harry’s cross tattoos other than religion though, and their placement adjacent to the large swallows inked on his chest may have something to do with that. Back in the day, swallow tattoos were popular among sailors who spent long periods of time away from home, and a sailor would earn one swallow tat for every 5,000 nautical miles he sailed. In fact, Harry once said about his chest ink, “[The swallows] symbolize traveling, and we travel a lot.” In addition to traveling, swallow tattoos also represent returning home safely, and the fact that Harry’s three tiny cross tats are inked just below the swallows on his chest could mean they have something to do with home or family.
Harry is known for his myriad tattoos dedicated to his close friends and family members, and to date, the pop star rocks several pieces inked in honor of his mother, sister, former One Direction bandmates, and other people he holds closed to his heart. He also recently got an “R” tattoo on his arm, next to his infamous mermaid ink, which some have guessed may be a tribute to Harry’s stepfather, Robin Twist. As for the “M” and “K” initials in Harry’s previous cross chest tats, and the “B” in this newer one, it’s likely the pop star relied on his loved ones for inspiration yet again.
For example, the “M” in Harry’s chest tattoo could be for his maternal grandmother, Mary Smith, and the “K” could be for his paternal grandfather, Keith Frederick Styles. Following this same line of logic, our guess is this more recent “B” cross tattoo was inked either in honor of Harry’s maternal grandfather, Brian Selley, or his paternal grandmother, Beryl German. If Harry is immortalizing his grandparents in tiny cross tattoos on his chest, his next one will likely be another “B” cross, for either Brian Selley or Beryl German, whoever is left!
A special thanks to PST fan Katja Demmel for help in discovering this tat!
