Who is Prince Harry’s childhood friend, Hugh van Cutsem Jr? He just appeared in Clarkson’s Farm by Jeremy Clarkson – who wrote that scathing column about Meghan Markle – but is still pals with William

May 20 , 2024

Prince Harry talks with Hugh van Cutsem Jr in 2013. Photo: Indigo/Getty Images

Prince Harry’s childhood friend Hugh van Cutsem surprised fans this week after he was seen on the seventh episode of Jeremy Clarkson’s Clarkson’s Farm TV show.

Hugh van Cutsem Jr (right) recently appeared on Jeremy Clarkson’s Clarkson’s Farm TV show. Photo: Handout

For those who might not remember, the former Top Gear host wrote a scathing opinion piece about Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, for British tabloid The Sun last year, where he revealed how he was “dreaming of the day when [Meghan] is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”, referring to the Game of Thrones episode where Queen Cersei experiences the same. He apologised for the misogynistic remarks following much backlash.

So, who is Hugh van Cutsem exactly – and why is he hanging out with the Sussexes’ “arch nemesis”?

Hugh van Cutsem was childhood friends with Prince William and Prince Harry

Hugh van Cutsem Jr, Prince Harry and Prince William attend the wedding of Edward van Cutsem and Lady Tamara Grosvenor at Chester Cathedral in 2004, in Chester, England. Photo: Indigo/Getty Images

Hugh Jr’s friendship with the heir to the British throne and his younger brother dates back decades.

According to British media, his father Hugh van Cutsem Sr was one of King Charles’ oldest friends from Cambridge University. Hugh Sr’s four kids (including Van Cutsem Jr) previously lived at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate for a decade, where Prince William and Princess Kate now reside.

Meanwhile, Hugh Jr’s oldest brother Edward is a godson to King Charles and served as a page boy at his 1981 wedding to Princess Diana.

His wife, Rose Astor, once seemed to mock Meghan Markle

Hugh van Cutsem Jr and Rose van Cutsem attend the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in May 2018, in Windsor, England. Photo: Indigo/Getty Images

According to The Times, Hugh Jr’s wife Rose van Cutsem, better known as Rose Astor, is a journalist and entrepreneur – and she once made a comment that netizens believe was a dig at Meghan and Harry. Per British media, following the Sussexes’ announced departure from the royal family in 2020, Rose took to social media to write: “I am standing back as a senior member of my tax return because I’d rather drink coffee, see my friends, love my family and do yoga.”

He’s in Prince William’s inner circle

Hugh van Cutsem and Prince William attend the wedding of Nicholas van Cutsem and Alice Hadden-Paton at The Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, in 2009, in London, England. Photo: Indigo/Getty Images

While it’s unclear where Harry and Hugh Jr stand today, it seems like Hugh Jr still gets along fine with Prince William. As shared in an article published by Hello! in March, Hugh remains one of Wills’ closest confidants.

Was he mentioned in Prince Harry’s memoir Spare?

Hugh Van Cutsem Jr attends a requiem mass for Hugh van Cutsem, who passed away in 2013, at Brentwood Cathedral, in Brentwood, England. Photo: UK Press via Getty Images

Yes, in a sense. Harry revealed in his Spare memoir that Hugh Jr’s mother Emilie and one of her other four sons got in touch with him to show their anger after he and Meghan appeared in his tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

He wrote, “Several close mates and beloved figures in my life, including one of Hugh [Sr] and Emilie’s sons, Emilie herself, and even Tiggy [Pettifer, his former nanny], had chastised me for Oprah. ‘How could you reveal such things? About your family?’”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Prince Harry’s former friend Hugh van Cutsem Jr surprised fans this week after he was seen on the seventh episode of Jeremy Clarkson’s Clarkson’s Farm TV show
For those who might not remember, the former Top Gear host wrote a scathing opinion piece about Harry’s wife Meghan Markle for The Sun last year, and faced backlash for his misogynistic comments