Meet Prince Harry’s pal James Haskell, who called the royals ‘dysfunctional’: the former rugby union player interviewed William and Kate on his podcast with Mike Tindall and Alex Payne

STORYFaye Bradley

Nov 29 , 2024

Rugby player turned podcaster James Haskell is a friend of Prince Harry’s – and has some opinions about the royals. Photos: Getty Images, @jameshaskell/Instagram

Royalty

Haskell has defended the royals, saying that they ‘serve an important role’ – but he’s also called them ‘dysfunctional’ and made jokes about Prince Andrew

Every family has its issues – even the royal family, according to Prince Harry’s long-time pal James Haskell.

The former rugby union player labelled the British royal family “very dysfunctional” in a new interview with The Times.

“Some aren’t as great as others,” he shared in the interview published on Tuesday. “They do amazing work – but they’re also a modern family that’s very dysfunctional.”

Prince Harry and James Haskell chat during a visit to an England rugby squad training session in 2017. Photo: WPA Pool/Getty Images

Besides Harry, Haskell is also close to another friend with royal connections. He co-hosts his podcast, The Good, the Bad & the Rugby with Mike Tindall and Alex Payne.

Tindall is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, and the Tindalls are close to Prince William and Kate Middleton in addition to Meghan and Harry.

Here’s what we know about 39-year-old James Haskell:

What does James Haskell do for work?

James Haskell is a well known English rugby player and friend of the royals. Photo: @jameshaskell/Instagram

James Haskell got his claim to fame through rugby. According to The Rugby Journal, he played 77 times for England, touring with the British and Irish Lions.

“I laughed every day in my rugby career,” he told The Rugby Journal. “The best thing about rugby is going through a bit of turmoil, hard work, and then sitting down and laughing.” As per Unfiltered Online, he has since pursued work as an author, podcaster and DJ.