Ricky Gervais, renowned for his sharp wit and irreverent humor, once faced a surprising request from Prince Harry.
This encounter occurred after one of Gervais' comedy shows in 2010. Following his stand-up performance of "Science" at the Hammersmith Apollo, Gervais enjoyed a drink with none other than Prince Harry and Chris Martin. Reflecting on the night in his blog, Gervais wrote that Harry tried to persuade him to go to Afghanistan to perform for the troops. Gervais, admitting he was too scared, humorously recounted Harry’s assurance that he could perform in Basra, which was supposedly the safest place in the war zone. Gervais quipped, "I take risks with my comedy, not my vital organs," but said he'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 he was bringing his "Gran," referring to Queen Elizabeth II. This caused Gervais to panic slightly, as he thought she would not enjoy his show. After the performance, Harry had Gervais sign a beer mat for the Queen with the inscription, "To Liz too." Gervais humorously remarked he would be checking eBay to see if it was up for sale, pondering that a beer mat signed by the Queen would likely be worth a lot.
Over the years, the relationship between Gervais and Harry appeared quite friendly. 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 a 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. He tweeted, "Dear the Royal Family, I’m the son of an immigrant laborer who didn’t have a pot to piss in until I was 40. Now I’m Britain’s most successful international comedian and I can piss in anything I want. You can shove the knighthood though. How about a lordship? Love your work. Ricky."
Gervais' 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' interactions with Prince Harry reveal much about his comedic approach and his views on the British aristocracy. The beloved British comic has fans worldwide due to his brutally honest nature and quippy yet often offensive jokes. Gervais has never shied away from making awkward but topical jokes, sometimes landing him in hot water, but he never seems to care, always shrugging off any backlash.
