Actress Rebel Wilson was photographed with an arm around Prince Harry this weekend. The star had mocked the royal's interview with Oprah Winfrey at the BAFTAs earlier this year... before revealing a mystery member of the royal family had vetted her joke.
Wilson, star of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, uploaded a photograph to Instagram on Sunday showing her up close and personal with the prince with the caption "Team Harry!"
The photograph was taken at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club in California where Harry's polo team Los Padres was playing in a fixture watched by Meghan Markle.
Ahead of her hosting of the 75th BAFTA Film Awards in March, Wilson told BBC's The One Show that though she was nervous about the ceremony, she at least had peace of mind that one key aspect of her set wouldn't cause offense.
Speaking to show hosts, Lauren Laverne and Jermaine Jenas, Wilson explained she ran her royal jokes by a member of the family to see if they struck the right note:
"I do have a connection with a royal family member who I may text certain jokes to see if it's OK by them," she said.
The BAFTA Film Awards have, traditionally, been attended by Prince William and Kate Middleton in past years as William is BAFTA president. It has become commonplace for the host of the evening to make one or two royal jokes throughout the night, and for Wilson this was no exception.
Despite her recent declaration of admiration for Harry, when presenting the award for Outstanding British Film, the actress took aim at Harry and Meghan's March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey:
"From drama to horror to fantasy, Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah had it all. Unfortunately that's not nominated in this category, but some incredible films are," she told the audience.
The joke followed an earlier jibe made ahead of the show in an interview with ITV.
When discussing the film West Side Story, which was nominated for five BAFTAs, host Alison Hammond made reference to the musical number "America," and more specifically the lyrics "I like to be in America."
"Yeah," Wilson responded, "that's Harry and Meghan's new theme song."
On the night of the awards William and Kate were not in the audience citing "diary constraints" according to The Mirror. William recorded a special video message for the occasion. The ceremony took place shortly before the royal couple began their recent and widely criticized tour of the Caribbean.
On how she thought her royal jokes might be received by members of the family, Wilson told The One Show: "They actually have a really great sense of humor. People think [not] because of their position but they like to laugh as well!"
In 2020 during a guest spot presenting the BAFTA for Best Director, Wilson made another royal-related joke telling the audience gathered at London's Royal Albert Hall, including William and Kate: "It's really great to be here at the Royal Andrew... Royal Harry... Royal Philip... No, Royal... Palace Place?"
The references to Harry and Prince Andrew were particularly relevant as they came the year of the Sussexes stepping down as full-time working royals and of Andrew's legal woes over a sexual assault lawsuit brought against him in the U.S by Virginia Giuffre.
The broadcast of the event then cut to a shot of William and Kate who showed no reaction.
After the event, Wilson told The Sun that despite that shot, she had heard the couple were not offended:
"I did speak to Kate and William's private secretary after the BAFTAs and all seemed fine," she said.
The star's appearance at the royal polo match on Sunday was the first time that she has been publicly photographed with Harry and though Meghan was also in attendance it is not known whether they spent any more time together.
The prince and Meghan, along with their two children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 11 months, are to travel to Britain next week for the central weekend of celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. The trip is to be the couple's first public visit to the U.K since stepping away from working royal life in 2020.
Uncommon Knowledge
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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