Prince Harry's friend James Haskell calls Royals ‘a modern family that’s very dysfunctional’

Prince Harry’s pal James Haskell, who is also a retired professional rugby player, shared his good and bad experiences with the Royal family. He recalled attending the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s in May 2018, as well as Harry’s cousin Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall’s wedding in July 2011.

"I’ve spent time with the royals. Some aren’t as great as others. They do amazing work — but they’re also a modern family that’s very dysfunctional," Haskell told the Times in an interview this week.

He added, "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. There’s no way back from that, so remember that they serve an important role. I love what they do."

James Haskell then recalled the time he told an "inappropriate" joke about when he was at Mike’s wedding. "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," he told the magazine.

Besides Harry, Haskell also has a relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton, the New York Post reported. He and Mike welcomed the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as William’s aunt and Mike’s mother-in-law, Princess Anne, on their podcast in September 2023.

Haskell and Mike are good friends. They co-host the podcast “The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.” They were teammates on England’s rugby union team.

James Haskell, 39, is a former rugby union player who was a flanker for Wasps and represented England 77 times. He retired from professional rugby in 2019.

Recently, Meghan Markle issued a statement on Thursday amid a continued ‘professional separation’ from Prince Harry. The Duchess of Sussex hosted a community dinner for Afghan women resettling in the US last week — with attendees also sharing stories and reading poetry. Meanwhile Prince Harry travelled to Canada and New York to promote the 2025 Invictus Games.