The friends ‘Markled’ by Prince Harry – after Meghan said ‘buddies always blame the girl’
Jack Whitehall has revealed how he was ‘dropped’ as a friend by Prince Harry after the royal settled down with his now-wife Meghan Markle.
The 36-year-old comedian, who is in Australia touring his latest comedy show Jack and Michael Whitehall Live, appeared on Melbourne breakfast radio Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren on Monday, where he revealed he used to be pals with the prince, who now lives in Montecito, ‘pre-Meghan’.
Jack is not the only friend who is said to have been dropped by the Duke of Sussex, 40, following his departure from his royal duties. According to reports, the prince has allegedly dropped a number of friends since his relationship with Meghan, 43, became serious, from David Beckham to old friends like Hugh van Cutsem.
Among them is also his former close pal and ‘wingman’ Tom ‘Skippy’ Inskip, with insiders reporting in 2018 that the Duke had frozen out some of his ‘old posse’ as Meghan didn’t want any ‘temptations’ as they prepared to start a family, in case they were a ‘bad influence’.
Speaking about how people had accused her of ‘changing’ Harry while speaking in the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the Duchess said: ‘I often think about in any relationship, oftentimes, when a guy falls in love with a girl, his buddies are like, “Oh, my God, he changed. I don’t see him anymore. He’s always with her”.
‘You blame the girl. They’re angry with her because she’s the thing that took him away. And that’s whether you’re in a small town or a big city or in the royal family. He wouldn’t have ever been attracted to or interested in me if he hadn’t already been on his own path.
‘You most people need to find someone to blame, to try to like, reconcile how you’re feeling because something’s changed and it doesn’t feel good and you don’t like it, and what’s the thing that’s different, what’s all changed when you got here? So it’s your fault.’
Here, FEMAIL reveals the friends Prince Harry has dropped following his relationship to Meghan Markle and departure from the Royal Family…
Speaking to Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren on Monday, Jack said: ‘I was quite good friends with Prince Harry back in the day, pre-Meghan when he was a tearaway’.
Lauren Phillips swiftly asked him if he was ‘dropped’ by the now-estranged royal after marrying the former Suits star. Jack noted: ‘Yeah I mean I wasn’t part of his inner circle… but I had a few nights out with him when he was quite fun.’
The father-of-one made sure to mention that, like Harry, he has also ‘retired’ from his wild party days. He joked: ‘There’s still a demon inside me…there [is] definitely a little bit more negotiating and [I’ve] cashed out at the bank of mutual resentment. I just sent my wife away for a girls’ weekend — I’m like, ‘Take two nights babe,’ ‘Cause I know there’s a potential boys’ weekend coming up.’
Jack and Prince Harry had been spotted hanging out over the years and were even snapped at the Royal Variety Performance at London’s Albert Hall in 2015. Jack also quipped he wasn’t invited to Prince Harry’s wedding because of a joke he made at the Royal Variety Show in 2015.
During Jack’s How To Survive The Summer Holidays tour, his father Michael said: ‘That is your friend Harry. Except you are not allowed to see him anymore. You have been banned… ostracised from the Sussexes.’
