Once upon a time, the British public might have been prepared to forgive Prince Harry more or less anything. When he was the nation’s favourite royal, he could even pop on a Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party and ultimately get away with it. These days, not so much.

Earlier this week, Meghan Sussex posted a four-year-old video of herself and Harry dancing in a labour ward as they awaited the arrival of baby Lilibet. The reaction on these shores has, it’s fair to say, been mixed. Harry and Meghan’s funky moves have been described as “unroyal” in some quarters, with one news website even asking whether the King should strip the pair of their titles in response to the dancing video.

Given the state of the couple’s relationship with the UK after their falling out with the rest of the royal family, perhaps such negativity should not come as a surprise. But really, Harry’s dad dancing is the most relatable thing we’ve seen from him in ages. Forget tedious tomes about his difficult relationship with his father, Harry should just give us more of his groovy moves.

After all, no dad should feel abashed about having a little shimmy across a hospital room, or a kitchen, or indeed when out and about with the kids. Embarrassing your children with a jazzy shuffle as your drop them at the school gates is not only a key part of parenting, but it releases endorphins too. Everyone’s a winner.

I’ve given my kids many a treat as they eat their tea and watch me throw shapes to whatever musical backing Radio 2 decides to provide. They have particularly fond memories of a jaunty jig I created, which incorporated a pineapple as a prop. I also once convinced my son that there is a special dance you have to do whenever you hear the Bee Gees’ hit “You Win Again”. It’s all about working the elbows and knees in perfect harmony.

Not that you actually need children to be a dad dancer. I was causing people to squirm at my moves long before I had any offspring. Way back in my 20s, I caused a storm when I “moonwalked” across the dance floor at a wedding reception – a spectacle that caused gasps and whoops of what can only have been delight.

Judging by Meghan’s video, Harry has definitely got rhythm. This is not a guy who is merely flailing. Every wiggle of the hips and every turn of the hand is done with deliberation and timing. It’s dad dancing for sure – the cringe factor is certainly present – but it’s a higher level of dad dancing.

And actually, we’ve seen it before. Last year, when Harry and Meghan visited Colombia, footage emerged of the prince shaking his shoulders and moving his feet as he watched a musical performance. Later, the couple took to the dance floor and tried a bit of salsa.

Which brings me to a suggestion. Harry, if you want to win back the hearts and minds of the British public, there is an obvious route to take: Strictly Come Dancing.

True, there are some potential pitfalls. Some previous contestants have ended up getting a little too close to their dance partners; others didn’t get close enough. One or two found themselves getting into trouble with some “jokes”. And of course, there is always the risk of going out first – but what is life without a little jeopardy, especially if it involves doing a jive in front of Claudia Winkleman, Craig Revel Horwood and eight million TV viewers?

In any case, I think we’ve seen enough from Harry to be confident that he has what it takes to get to grips with the quickstep and the Argentine tango. And I can’t be the only one who would would like to see him try a slow and sultry rumba?

With a fair wind, Harry could possibly go all the way, lifting the famous glitterball trophy and winning over even the most hardened of his UK critics. His dad and his brother could be there to support him. From Blackpool to Halloween week and through to the final, relations repaired, the nation’s prodigal son returned and restored.

So come on Harry, you know what to do. Keeeep dancing!