Prince Harry Booed at Rugby Match in UK
TV commentators noted the jeers from the crowd, though supporters claim the boos were directed at the referee.
Prince Harry experienced an unwelcoming reception at a Premiership rugby match in England, where audible booing from spectators could be heard as he appeared on a big screen. The Duke of Sussex was attending the Leicester Tigers vs. Gloucester game on Friday night.
During the match, commentator Nick Mullins remarked, "Well, that wasn't overly welcoming, was it?" Former player Ugo Monye responded, "Welcome home!"
Supporters of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, known as the 'Sussex Squad,' asserted online that the booing was aimed at the referee, Karl Dickson, rather than Prince Harry. They claimed the jeers occurred after a controversial call awarding a scrum to Leicester. However, a review of the broadcast footage suggests the boos began approximately 16 seconds after the referee's decision, making this explanation less plausible.
Prince Harry, a former patron of the Rugby Football Union from 2016 to 2021, watched the game with his cousin George McCorquodale and Andrea Pinchen, the Tigers' chief executive. The Tigers won the match.
This public appearance marks one of several solo outings for Prince Harry since his return to the UK with his wife Meghan and their children in August.