Comedian Jack Whitehall recently revealed that Prince Harry distanced himself from longtime friends after he began dating Meghan Markle. Speaking on the Jase & Lauren podcast, Whitehall, 36, shared insights into his past friendship with the Duke of Sussex, recalling the days before Harry met Markle.
“I was quite good friends with Harry back in the day. Pre-Meghan, when he was a terror,” Whitehall said, adding that he had a few nights out with the prince but was not part of his inner circle.
When asked directly if Harry “dropped his mates” after meeting Markle, Whitehall confirmed that he did. While he wasn’t present for Harry’s infamous Las Vegas strip billiards night, he recalled the prince being a fun and social person before settling down.
Whitehall, now a father, compared his own life changes to Harry’s transformation, acknowledging that both have moved on from their bachelor days.
Reports of Harry losing touch with old friends after dating Markle are not new. In August 2023, King Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, stated that many of Harry’s friends have not heard from him in years.
Harrold also noted that Harry and Prince William’s friendship has suffered a similar fate, with the once-close brothers now distant.
The rift reportedly began as early as 2016, when Harry introduced Meghan to his Eton College friends during a Sandringham estate shooting party. According to royal expert Hilary Fordwich, the meeting did not go well, leading many of Harry’s elite school friends to keep their distance ever since.
