Jack Whitehall says he was ‘dropped’ by ‘good friend’ Prince Harry when the royal met Meghan Markle

Jack Whitehall has revealed he was ‘good friends’ with Prince Harry ‘pre-Meghan’ Markle – but he got ‘dropped’ when the pair ‘settled’ down. 

The comedian, 36, 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.

Speaking to the hosts, Jack revealed he and Harry used to be quite close friends when he was ‘a tearaway’ – but then the royal settled down after meeting Meghan.

He 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.

He added: ‘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 have 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.’

Jack then replied: ‘I think I have been banned because I called him ‘Ginger Nuts’ at the Royal Variety.’

In his 2015 set, Jack joked that he will ‘offer up his services as royal wingman’ because Prince Harry was single at the time. 

However he started dating Meghan a year later and the pair eventually got married in 2018.

Jack arrived in Australia last month with his model fiancée Roxy Horner and their daughter Elsie.

Jack revealed his former friend Prince Harry distanced himself from the funny man soon after meeting Meghan

Jack and Prince Harry have been spotted hanging out over the years and were even snapped at the Royal Variety Performance at London ‘s Albert Hall in 2015

The family’s trip Down Under comes just weeks after Roxy confirmed their engagement following a flurry of speculation.

She revealed the pair were indeed set to tie the knot as she showed off her pear-shaped diamond ring last month.

Taking to her Instagram ahead of New Year’s Eve, she shared a compilation of all her highlights from the last two months of 2024, including several looks at her huge sparkler and a glimpse of the moment Jack popped the question.

And further confirming that the couple were to become husband and wife, she shared a photo of Jack with the caption: ‘Best fiancé in the world’, followed by a diamond ring emoji.

The video began with Roxy showing a diamond ring balloon and engagement box-themed Christmas tree ornament before she spun her hand around to reveal her real ring.

While one shot appeared to hint at Jack’s romantic proposal, Roxy showed off her dazzling rock in front of a line of lit-up Christmas trees.

Captioning the special reel, she penned: ‘How could I fit in a whole year of highlights in one video? Here is a snippet of the last 2 magical months of 2024, feeling utterly blessed.’

She revealed the pair were indeed set to tie the knot as she showed off her pear-shaped diamond ring last month.

Jack and his model fiancee Roxy Horner seen on Sydney Harbour

The video was met with a plethora of well wishes from her pals and fans, with one notable comment being from her new fiancé, who simply penned: ‘My love’, along with three red heart emojis.

The couple had previously sparked rumours they were set to walk down the aisle when the mother-of-one showed off a huge diamond ring at Winter Wonderland last month.

Snapping selfies with Jack and Elsie, Roxy could also be seen sporting a tear-shaped diamond set on a silver band on her engagement finger.

The couple have been in a relationship since 2020, before welcoming daughter Elsie in September 2023 at the Lindo Wing, in which a host of royals have given birth.

Jack admitted the experience was both ‘utterly overwhelming’ and ‘joyous’ in ways he ‘couldn’t have imagined’.

He wrote at the time: ‘Well this just happened! Utterly overwhelming and joyous in ways I couldn’t have even imagined.

Jack’s 2025 has got off to a flying start with the comedian recently announced as the new host of the Brit Awards.

The comedian, who will replace One Show host Roman Kemp, previously hosted the ceremony four times but hasn’t been at the helm since 2021 as a result of his busy schedule.