Former rugby union player James Haskell has revealed what he really thinks of the British royals in a searingly candid interview.
Speaking to The Times, Mike Tindall's close friend opened up about spending time with the royals and revealed that while they do "amazing work", they're also a modern family that's "very dysfunctional."
© Getty ImagesHe 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."
While James, 39, made a bold comment about the royals, he did also confess that they play an "important role," saying: "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.
© Getty Images"There's no way back from that, so remember that they serve an important role. I love what they do."
Elsewhere, the sports star shared a sneak peek inside Zara and Mike's wedding. "It was the perfect combination of ceremony and romance, coupled with the fact that both of them like to enjoy themselves," he said.
James appears alongside Zara Tindall's husband Mike on their The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast. The pair used to play for England together and later started their podcast in 2020 which has since amassed a whopping three million listeners.
© ShutterstockThe duo are joined by Alex Payne who is a former Sky host. Following the success of their podcast, the trio also released a book titled The Good, the Bad & the Rugby: Unleashed on 24 October. Their book touches on "the highs and lows of their podcast, friendship and rugby."
This isn't the first time James has spoken about the royals. During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, James said of his friend: "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."
© Getty ImagesLast year, meanwhile, James and Mike appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss their experience of welcoming the Prince and Princess of Wales onto their podcast.
He said: "That podcast was brilliant because we see them at their best, 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."
