Who is Prince Harrys childhood friend, Hugh van Cutsem Jr? He just appeared in Clarksons Farm

Publish date: 2024-08-17

Prince Harry’s childhood friend Hugh van Cutsem surprised fans this week after he was seen on the seventh episode of Jeremy Clarkson’s Clarkson’s Farm TV show.

For those who might not remember, the former Top Gear host wrote a scathing opinion piece about Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, for British tabloid The Sun last year, where he revealed how he was “dreaming of the day when [Meghan] is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her”, referring to the Game of Thrones episode where Queen Cersei experiences the same. He apologised for the misogynistic remarks following much backlash.

So, who is Hugh van Cutsem exactly – and why is he hanging out with the Sussexes’ “arch nemesis”?

Hugh van Cutsem was childhood friends with Prince William and Prince Harry

Hugh Jr’s friendship with the heir to the British throne and his younger brother dates back decades.

According to British media, his father Hugh van Cutsem Sr was one of King Charles’ oldest friends from Cambridge University. Hugh Sr’s four kids (including Van Cutsem Jr) previously lived at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate for a decade, where Prince William and Princess Kate now reside.Meanwhile, Hugh Jr’s oldest brother Edward is a godson to King Charles and served as a page boy at his 1981 wedding to Princess Diana.

His wife, Rose Astor, once seemed to mock Meghan Markle

According to The Times, Hugh Jr’s wife Rose van Cutsem, better known as Rose Astor, is a journalist and entrepreneur – and she once made a comment that netizens believe was a dig at Meghan and Harry. Per British media, following the Sussexes’ announced departure from the royal family in 2020, Rose took to social media to write: “I am standing back as a senior member of my tax return because I’d rather drink coffee, see my friends, love my family and do yoga.”

He’s in Prince William’s inner circle

While it’s unclear where Harry and Hugh Jr stand today, it seems like Hugh Jr still gets along fine with Prince William. As shared in an article published by Hello! in March, Hugh remains one of Wills’ closest confidants.

Was he mentioned in Prince Harry’s memoir Spare?

Yes, in a sense. Harry revealed in his Spare memoir that Hugh Jr’s mother Emilie and one of her other four sons got in touch with him to show their anger after he and Meghan appeared in his tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

He wrote, “Several close mates and beloved figures in my life, including one of Hugh [Sr] and Emilie’s sons, Emilie herself, and even Tiggy [Pettifer, his former nanny], had chastised me for Oprah. ‘How could you reveal such things? About your family?’”

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