Ex-England Rugby star James Haskell has confessed to making an unsuitable joke about Prince Andrew at Mike Tindall’s wedding to Zara Phillips in July 2011. The 39-year-old shared this revelation in a column for the Times Magazine, where he also expressed his views on the Royal Family and their work.
He recalled: “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 realised that everyone was over 18 so he left. It was inappropriate, but it was funny.”
Haskell’s jest was linked to accusations levelled against Prince Andrew concerning Virginia Giuffre and his ties with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Giuffre, now 38, alleges that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her as a teenager at the residences of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew disputed her account, stating that a medical condition at the time prevented him from sweating, as she claimed he did, reports Aberdeen Live.
The Duke of York has consistently denied any misconduct and reached a settlement with Giuffre in 2022. In his settlement statement, he expressed regret over “his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others”.
Prince Andrew, no longer a working royal, has typically seen Buckingham Palace refrain from commenting on his affairs. Moreover, in a statement addressing his ties with Epstein, Andrew expressed his strong condemnation of exploitation, stating: “he deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent”.
Aside from his quip about Andrew, James also shared his thoughts on the Royal Family, acknowledging that while some members may not be “as great as others”, the institution itself does “amazing work”.
He issued a caution to those advocating for the abolition of the monarchy: “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.”
Amidst the controversy, James’ remarks about Andrew emerge as the prince battles to maintain his residence at Royal Lodge, having recently secured funding from an undisclosed benefactor to afford his stay.
On The Royal Beat, Times Royal editor Kate Mansey delved into how Andrew managed to keep his place at Royal Lodge and the obligations tied to his occupancy.
She clarified: “Previously, he was there on the largesse of his older brother, the King. This wasn’t public money; this was money from the King’s private fund.
“To stay in Royal Lodge, which is outside that security perimeter, incidentally, at Windsor stands on its own, so it has its own security. So, that’s a kind of revolving door of, you know, security 24/7 on that place.
“And part of that lease requires him to keep painting it inside and out on a, kind of, five and seven-yearly basis. So there are responsibilities that come with that commercial lease that he has to upkeep. That’s not cheap.”