Self-Disclosed “‘Friends’ Fanatic” Prince Harry Always Called Himself a Chandler Bing—Played by the Late Matthew Perry

(Image credit: Getty)

published 30 October 2023

As hearts broke all over the world Saturday night as the passing of Friends star Matthew Perry made news, there was likely one man in Montecito, California, who was also upset: Prince Harry, who, in his memoir, Spare, admitted that he loves the long-running sitcom and most relates to the character of Chandler Bing (played by Perry).

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on "Friends"

As Harry suffered debilitating panic attacks in the summer of 2013, he watched Friends as a means of coping; he wrote that it was possible he watched every episode of the show, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 and spanned 236 episodes. Referring to the cheekier and funnier side of his personality, Harry said he was a Chandler—and admitted to having a crush on Monica, played by Courteney Cox. (Cox makes another appearance in Spare, as he discussed a night in 2016 when he crashed at her house, writing, “I found the idea of crashing at Monica’s highly appealing. And amusing.”)

The self-disclosed “Friends fanatic” said of his crush on Cox “I was still confused because…she was Monica. And I was a Chandler. I wondered if I’d ever work up the courage to tell her. Was there enough tequila in California to get me that brave?”

Harry wasn’t the only member of the royal family to likely be affected by Perry’s death. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, became the first member of the royal family to speak out on his untimely death, writing in a tribute on Instagram “I remember being thrilled to have met a natural talent, comedian, and brilliant actor. It is a tragedy to lose you so early in life, rest in peace dear Matthew … you have given so much joy and laughter to so many.” The tribute included a photo of herself, Perry, and other Friends castmates, as well as another photo of herself and Perry in front of Big Ben in London.

If you’ll remember, Fergie had a cameo on Friends during season four of the show, while the episode “The One with Ross’s Wedding” was filmed in London, The Daily Express reports. This is the episode where Ross, played by David Schwimmer, accidentally says the name of Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston, while taking his vows to Emily. Amidst all of the wedding drama, Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc, runs into Fergie while out in London. “While sporting an oversized Union Jack hat, Joey filmed their unexpected meeting, in which Sarah, who was playing herself, recorded a humorous message for Chandler,” The Daily Express reports. In the message, she said, “Hi Chandler. Joey says you don’t really like his hat, but I think it’s kind of dashing.”

The outlet reports “Before delivering her lines, Sarah was admittedly anxious about her part in the show and even practiced with Matt, who stood nearby during filming to lend his support to both his costar and the show’s special royal guest.”

Perry died Saturday at his home in L.A., the result of an apparent accidental drowning.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.