Prince Harry is facing fresh debate over a comment he made to former England soccer legend Peter Crouch about his model wife Abbey Clancy after the sportsman recalled their meeting at a charity match.
The moment dates back to 2015, when Harry was still a working royal and attended a UNICEF football match at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, reportedly organised by David Beckham.
Crouch brought the story back into the spotlight while speaking on the Stick To Football podcast
The exchange has since prompted mixed reaction online, with some seeing it as jokey dressing-room banter and others calling the wording dated and disrespectful.
What Prince Harry reportedly said to Peter Crouch
Crouch said Harry came into the dressing room after the match and asked him: “Yeah, Crouchy, how did you bag Abbey?”
The sportsman said he was surprised by the question. He also admitted he later thought of a comeback he wished he had used, saying: “‘You can talk’. I wasn’t quick enough!”
He added: “He was obviously a prince. I was taken aback by it.”
Because the anecdote involves Abbey being discussed as someone Crouch had “bagged”, it has split opinion now it has reappeared online.
A royal source quoted by RadarOnline said Harry had changed over the years but claimed comments like that “look different when viewed through a modern lens”.
The source also suggested that, given Meghan Markle’s public stance on equality and respectful discourse, some people would expect her to “cringe” at the exchange being repeated today.
Another insider quoted by the outlet stressed that the comment was made before Harry met Meghan. However, they claimed its return online had created awkward debate because it sits uneasily with the public image the couple now present.
Reaction online
A clip of Crouch’s comments has circulated on social media, where responses have been sharply divided.
One critic accused Harry of being ‘entitled’ and ‘rude’, while another criticised the remark as rude towards both Crouch and Abbey.
Another commentator claimed Harry was ‘crude’ and ‘misogynistic’. Others, however, reportedly brushed it off as light-hearted banter from the time.
Why it is getting attention now
Harry married Meghan in 2018, after the couple announced their engagement the previous year. Since then, both have spoken publicly about equality, online abuse and respectful public discourse.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior working royals in January 2020 and later settled in Montecito, California, with their two children.
Their post-royal life has included major media projects, including the Netflix series Harry & Meghan and Harry’s memoir Spare. Their relationship with senior royals has also remained strained following a series of high-profile interviews and claims about life inside the monarchy.
For now, the resurfaced Crouch anecdote has become another flashpoint in the ongoing debate around Harry’s public image – and how comments from years ago land when heard again today.