Prince Harry's friend admits Royal Family is 'very dysfunctional'

England star James Haskell has some close royal connections through his friendship with Mike Tindall - and now he has given his surprising verdict on the royal family

Former rugby player James Haskell has given his opinion on the British royal family - and he hasn't held back.

James has connections to the royals; he was pictured spending time with Prince Harry in the past, and is close friends with Mike Tindall, Princess Anne's son-in-law.

Speaking to The Times, James spoke about his experience spending time with the family, and said that while they do "amazing work", they're far from perfect.

He said: "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."

That being said, James is a fan of the monarchy. "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 is not only friends with Mike, they work together too. The pair front The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, alongside Alex Payne, and previously played for England together.

During a previous appearance on Good Morning Britain, James said of his co-host: "Mike is very capable, and he's a very calm guy. He doesn't suffer fools but he's much more relaxed than I am… Mike is quite a private guy anyway. He's part of one of the most famous and best families in the world."

In September 2023, James, Mike, and Alex welcomed Prince William and Princess Kate onto their podcast, alongside Princess Anne. And James was full of praise for the royals.

"That podcast was brilliant because we see them at their best," he said during an appearance on This Morning. "Obviously they have a wicked sense of humour, in this country in particular we obviously put people on a pedestal, but they are a regular family, an incredible family they do a lot for this country but a regular family."

Elsewhere in the interview James revealed that Princess Anne 'buried' him with a witty comment. He explained: "I won't spoil the whole story but Princess Anne kind of buried me, she summed it up pretty well… Mike had told Prince William we were going on a cruise ship during the world cup and William asked was I going to be the anchor and I said, "Well, it sounds something like that", and Princess Anne said, "Yes, I can see that.""

It's not the first time that James has spoken about his royal connections. Back in 2023, the sportsman was asked about Prince Harry while at Bath Forum for the World Cup Afterparty: The Good, The Bad and The Rugby.

He said of his first meeting with the duke: "Who should be there, wandering around having a good time, but Prince Harry." The rugby union star then gave a short but brutal verdict, saying: "He hadn't met her [Meghan] yet, so he was still quite fun."