Even the royal family has its “dysfunctional” moments, according to Mike Tindall’s podcast host James Haskell.
The 39-year-old former rugby player offered a rare look at what members of the British monarchy are like behind closed doors after attending various royal family events over the years.
“I’ve spent time with the royals. Some aren’t as great as others,” Haskell told U.K.’s The Times in an interview published on Tuesday, November 26. “They do amazing work — but they’re also a modern family that’s very dysfunctional.”
Haskell noted that he was at Mike’s 2011 wedding to Zara Tindall and attended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 nuptials as well.
“To those who want to get rid of the monarchy — once they’re gone, they’re gone,” the athlete added. “There’s no way back from that, so remember that they serve an important role. I love what they do.”
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Haskell’s connection to the royal family comes through Mike, 46, whose wife, Zara, 43, is Princess Anne’s daughter and the niece of King Charles III. Haskell and Mike host “The Good, The Bad & The Rugby” podcast alongside fellow cohost Alex Payne. Haskell has also formed a friendship with Harry, 40, over the years.
During his interview with The Times, Haskell recalled making a joke at the royal family’s expense while attending Mike and Zara’s wedding.
“I told a joke about when I was at Mike’s wedding. Prince Andrew was sweating up a storm on the dancefloor, but then he realized that everyone was over 18 so he left,” Haskell said. “It was inappropriate, but it was funny.”
Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in 2019 after his longtime connection to late billionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein came to light. That same year, Andrew was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman named Virginia Giuffre, who he denied knowing in an infamous BBC Newsnight interview. Giuffre eventually sued Andrew for sexual assault in a case that was settled outside of court. Andrew has continued to deny her accusations.
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Haskell also came face-to-face with both Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton when they each appeared on “The Good, The Bad & The Rugby” podcast. Tindall recently spoke candidly about getting the Prince and Princess of Wales on the show — and revealed what was left out of the episode.
“I think the podcast humanized them a little bit, and I kind of wish they’d let us put the uncut version out, because it would have blown the public away,” Tindall wrote in his memoir, The Good, the Bad & the Rugby — Unleashed. “They came across as down-to-earth, fully engaged, funny and knowledgeable.”
He added, “It was a far more enlightening chat than I expected, not because I thought they’d be dull (I already knew that they weren’t) but because I know how everything to do with the royal family is so carefully controlled.”
