Resurfaced Video Shows Joan Rivers Mocking Princess Diana: "She Had a Husband Who Didn't..."

Rarely would any comedian be as straightforward, raw, and unremorseful on stage as Joan Rivers. Her wit was razor-sharp and knew absolutely no boundaries, but a resurfaced video has revived a debate with her incendiary take on Princess Diana. Rivers headlined 2013's Just for Laughs Gala, roasting famous people to her heart's content without holds barred. "I hated her," Rivers said of the late princess, an admission that immediately captured the attention of audiences and social media users alike. The reason behind this was that Diana "didn't know when the good times were with her."

Rivers' comments painted a provocative picture. "She was tall, she was thin, she was gorgeous, she was young, she was rich, she had a husband who didn't want to sleep with her. She had a crown!" The comedian was brutally honest in her words, teasing Diana for not being aware of how privileged a life she lived. The viral TikTok clip has recorded over 800,000 views and 90,000 likes as it revealed what Rivers really thought of royalty. She even took a shot at Prince William's decision to give Kate Middleton his mother's engagement ring, adding an imagined sardonic commentary: "My mother and father hated each other from the very beginning... Good luck!"

Curiously enough, Rivers' relationship to the British royal family was far more complex than her sharp-tongued critique would suggest. She was, in fact, a friend of King Charles; both of them shared enthusiasm for painting. Moreover, Rivers was one of only four Americans invited to Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles's 2005 wedding, a testament to their real friendship. In a 2008 interview, Rivers spoke glowingly of Prince Charles, praising his progressive nature and sense of humor. "We meet on absolutely the level of humor," she said, showing a side of her personality not always evident from her public comedic persona.

On the other hand, Rivers actually praised Kate Middleton for being aware of her royal duties. "Hip and cool and she wears clothes so beautifully. She knows the job," Rivers said while comparing Middleton to Diana. She felt that Middleton's more modest upbringing actually better prepared her for royal life, saying that unlike Diana—who hailed from an elegant family at age 19—Middleton 'came from the outside' and knew what the role would truly entail, as per E! News.

Although some may have considered her comments to be controversial, many fans loved Rivers for making them laugh. The fact that the clip went viral shows how she is still relevant and that people just can't get enough of her unfiltered opinions. Rivers died in 2014 after complications from a routine throat surgery, but she had left an indelible mark on comedy, as per the New York Post.