James Haskell may not be familiar to most Americans, but the former England rugby star is not only legendary in the sport, he is friends with 2 members of the Royal Family. Counting Prince Harry as a companion, Haskell co・hosts the podcast "The Good, The Bad & The Rugby" with Princess Anne's son-in-law, Mike Tindall. In a candid new interview with the Times, the athlete shares a few tidbits about his experience with the royal family.

"I spent time with the Royals. Some are not as great as others," Haskell admitted. "They do a great job, but they are also a very dysfunctional modern family."

Despite the dysfunction, the former rugby star continued to say he appreciates the 'important role' the Royal family does for Britain,

"I went to the wedding of Harry and Meghan I went to Mike and Zara," Haskell continued. "To those who want to get rid of the monarchy — if they are gone, they will be gone. Remember that they play an important role, because there is no way back from there. I love what they do.

Haskell shared some insights about his close friend Mike Tindall's wedding to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Phillips. "Mike and Zara's wedding was full of rugby players," he told The Times. "It was a perfect combination of ritual and romance, coupled with the fact that both like to enjoy themselves.

"Do I still wake up the next morning on my bed with my black tie or say, "Jesus, what did I do last night?""Potentially, yes," he joked.

Haskell also revealed an "inappropriate" joke that made him slip at the wedding reception. "I joked about when I was at Mike's wedding," the rugby player shared. "Prince Andrew was sweating a storm on the dance floor, but then he left because he realized that everyone was over 18 years old. It was inappropriate, but interesting.

Of course, Haskell was referring to a wild comment the Duke of York made when he claimed in an interview with BBC Newsnight that he had a medical condition that prevented him from sweating. According to Prince Andrew, therefore, he could not share a sweaty dance with Virginia Juffre at the Trump Nightclub in London.The man who accused him of sexual assault.

It's unclear who the podcaster was referring to in his comments about some royals, but it seems unlikely he was discussing Prince William and Kate Middleton, as Haskell praised them in a recent interview.

The rugby star joined Alex Payne, co-host of Tindall and his fellow podcast, in a sit-in with Prince and Princess of Wales (and Tindall's mother-in-law, Princess Anne) for a special episode of 2023/9 - and he gave William and Kate a lot of praise.

"This podcast was amazing.Obviously they have a wicked sense of humor because they see them at their best," he told Good Morning Britain (via the Daily Mail) of Wales."In this country especially clearly put people on a pedestal, they are an ordinary family, they are an incredible family They do a lot for this country, but they are an ordinary family."