The Prince Andrew Joke That Made Kate Middleton And Prince William Cringe

When Kate Middleton and Prince William were spotted attending the BAFTAs, they immediately became the subject of a good portion of the night’s jokes. But it was all in good fun and spirits were still high -- until one joke, in particular, that involved Prince Andrew may have struck a nerve with the royal couple.

The evening started out with perfectly innocent jokes from Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie regarding the royal couple. Pitt notably joked about Megxit via Robbie, who was accepting the award on his behalf as he was unable to attend (something so apparently stressful for her, People reports she forgot to prepare a speech of her own).

“[Pitt] says that he is going to name this Harry,” Robbie said after accepting the Best Actor BAFTA for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Robbie continued: “Because he is really excited about bringing it back to the states with him… His words, not mine!”

The camera cut to reactions from Middleton and William, who seemed to join in on the fun and laugh alongside everyone else.

When it came time for Rebel Wilson to present the BAFTA award for Best Director, the Australian actress couldn’t help but to bring up, not only Megxit but a much, much darker royal family headline.

“It is really great to be here at the Royal Andrew,” the “Pitch Perfect” star said, before correcting herself: “Royal Harry, no, at this royal palace place.” What she was referring to were the recent allegations that Prince Andrew, who was an alleged associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, involving a supposed incident with a 17-year-old.

Needless to say, the royals Middleton and William were noticeably uncomfortable. An insider at Fox News, Neil Sean, confirmed that Wilson’s joke “offended” the royal couple.

Like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Prince Andrew no longer has any royal duties. Unlike the royal couple, however, Prince Andrew was personally asked to step down by Queen Elizabeth II herself. With Megxit being hard enough on William and Middleton, hearing their uncle’s name after what must have been a traumatic experience for the entire family was likely troubling.

Prince Andrew has since maintained his innocence, saying he denies any sexual assault claims made against him.