Comedian Katherine Ryan has revealed that Prince Harry knew who she was when they met and encouraged her to continue making jokes about him. Speaking to Woman Magazine, the 43-year-old said the Duke of Sussex was "so charming [and] so handsome in real life" and was aware of her previous comedic material about him.
Meeting the Duke
Ryan described the encounter, which took place a few years ago, saying: "He was very cool and relaxed about that. He said, 'You're the one who tells jokes about me.' Meghan wasn't there."
She added: "I think one of the babies was quite young, so Harry had flown over at that time. I also think it might have been when his dad [King Charles] was maybe facing some difficult moments, and he flew over for like 24 hours."
Crush continues
When the publication noted it was "a big coup" that Harry recognised her, Ryan replied: "He might have been briefed on the way in. You know how they have someone, like what a wife does with her husband at a family function. She'll say, 'That's Auntie Christine.' Who knows? But the crush lives on for sure."
Speaking about his appearance, she said: "His presence was so striking, seeing him up close. Prince Harry in the flesh, looks exactly, but taller, like the image of Prince Harry you have in his hand. He's in HD, and the photos of him look like the real him."
She continued: "He has a lovely peaceful presence. He's so dutiful and beautiful. He went all around the room, very confidently."
Husband not threatened
In an interview with the Daily Star, Ryan joked that her husband is not threatened by her crush on Harry. "My husband's very comfortable with how much I admit I love Prince Harry, but he also knows that I'm not as in love with him as it seems," she said. "He doesn't have to be worried in a room with me or anything. I like to think I speak for the women of the UK, I have to say."
Previously, on her Telling Everybody Everything podcast, Ryan said she apologised to Harry when he mentioned her jokes, but claimed he encouraged her to make more.
Prince Harry and his family recently returned to the UK after six years in America and are thought to be living in the Cotswolds. The couple were spotted entering a pub in Oxfordshire last week, walking hand-in-hand. A pub insider told The Sun: "Everyone here gets the royal treatment — it doesn't matter who you are. We're lucky to get lots of different people visiting us, and everyone is treated like a local. When they visited, Harry and Meghan just acted like locals."
