Ricky Gervais, known for his sharp wit and irreverent humor, once found himself on the receiving end of a surprising request from Prince Harry.
This encounter took place after one of Gervais's comedy shows in 2010. After performing his stand-up show "Science" at the Hammersmith Apollo, Gervais had a drink with none other than Prince Harry and Chris Martin. Reflecting on the night in his blog, Gervais wrote, "Harry was trying to persuade me to come to Afghanistan to perform for the troops. I said I was too scared. He said that I could do Basra, which was the safest place. Yeah, the safest place out of all the other places in a war zone. I take risks with my comedy, not my vital organs. I said that I'd think about it."
Prince Harry's light-hearted pressure didn't stop there. On the day of the gig, Harry texted Gervais jokingly, saying that he was bringing his "gr," referring to Queen Elizabeth II. "I was obviously a bit panicked," Gervais admitted. "She would definitely not have enjoyed the show." After the show, Harry even had Gervais sign a beer mat for the Queen with the inscription, "To Liz II, cheers." Gervais humorously remarked that he'd be checking eBay to see if it was up for sale, pondering that a beer mat signed by the Queen would likely be worth more.
The relationship between Gervais and Harry appeared to be quite friendly over the years. In April 2011, on the day of Prince William's wedding to Princess Catherine, Gervais offered to help Harry with his best man speech. He quipped in his blog, "I sent Prince Harry a text today offering to gag up his best man speech. He said it was fine. I also reminded him that it wasn't fancy dress. On a serious note, I really like Harry. I like William too, and I really wish the happy couple all the best as I would anyone on their wedding day. Congratulations, William and Kate."
Despite his cordial relationship with the younger Royals, Gervais has always maintained his critical stance towards the monarchy. In December 2018, he took to Twitter to explain why he wouldn't want a knighthood from the royal family, tweeting, "Dear the Royal Family, I'm the son of an immigrant laborer who didn't have a pot to piss in till I was 40. Now I'm Britain's most successful international comedian and can piss in anything I want. You can shove the knighthood though. How about a lordship? Love your work."
Ricky Gervais's tongue-in-cheek attitude extended to his experiences performing for royal audiences. On The Graham Norton Show, he recalled, "At one of the last shows I did, Madonna, Paul McCartney, and Prince William and Harry were on the guest list. And once you add a prince to the guest list, you also get seven people with guns that get in for free. So unbelievable."
Ricky Gervais's interactions with Prince Harry reveal much about his comedic approach and his views on the British aristocracy. The big-mouthed comedian is a much-loved British comic who has adoring fans worldwide due to his brutally honest nature and quippy but sometimes offensive jokes. Ricky has never shied away from making the awkward but topical joke, and sometimes that has landed him in hot water, but he still never seems to care and shrugs off any backlash.
