Certain celebrities are seen as relatively accessible – though they might be strangers to us, we can still get a glimpse into their personal lives thanks to what they post on media (and in some cases, their reality shows). But when it comes to the royals, what we see is what they want us to see … unless, of course, someone close to them gives an interview and spills the dirt, which is exactly what happened when Prince Harry‘s pal, James Haskell, talked to The Times recently.
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James has multiple connections to the royals.
Not only is the 39-year-old friends with Harry, but he’s also one of the cohosts of the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby alongside Mike Tindall, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall.
James got personal in an interview for The Times‘ “What I’ve Learnt” segment, and when it came to what he really thinks of the royals, he didn’t hold back.
Although he was willing to compliment their work, on a personal level, he isn't fully impressed.
“I’ve spent time with the royals. Some aren’t as great as others,” he said. “They do amazing work — but they’re also a modern family that’s very dysfunctional. I went to Harry and Meghan’s wedding. I went to Mike and Zara’s wedding.
“To those who want to get rid of the monarchy — once they’re gone, they’re gone,” he added. “There’s no way back from that, so remember that they serve an important role. I love what they do.”
It’s no surprise to hear they’re “dysfunctional” because isn’t every family, in its own way?
He also told a joke about Prince Andrew's Epstein scandal.
“I told a joke about when I was at Mike’s wedding,” James said via The Times, referring to his podcast cohost Mike’s 2011 wedding to Zara. “Prince Andrew was sweating up a storm on the dancefloor, but then he realised that everyone was over 18 so he left. It was inappropriate, but it was funny.”
If only we could have seen the royals’ reaction to that one …
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That's not all he had to say about Mike and Zara's wedding.
He mentioned that it was “full of rugby players” — after all, the groom was one — and it sounds like the newlyweds really knew how to throw a party.
“It was the perfect combination of ceremony and romance, coupled with the fact that both of them like to enjoy themselves,” James said. “Did I wake up the next morning on my bed still in my black tie thinking, ‘Jesus, what did I do last night?’ Potentially, yes.”
This isn't the first time James has spoken so openly about the royals.
During a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, James spoke about a time when Prince William and Kate Middleton were guests on his podcast last year.
“That podcast was brilliant because we see them at their best, obviously they have a wicked sense of humor,” he said, via The Daily Mail. “In this country in particularly we obviously put people on a pedestal, but they are a regular family, an incredible family. They do a lot for this country but a regular family.”
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
