Prince Harry and Prince William are seemingly notorious for having hot tempers. During their younger years, this got both of the royals in trouble with the tabloids, though more notably so with Prince Harry. It also has served to be a huge factor in the complicated relationship the two share.
Over the years, while their tempers may have only slightly mellowed, the princes have learned to (mostly) keep their outbursts behind closed doors to help quell the family drama and scandals that are responsible for the waning public support. As such, when Prince Harry slapped Taylor Hawkins across the face, questions were raised about whether anger had gotten the better of the Duke of Sussex and why he thought that was an appropriate thing to do. This was specifically because, at that time, Prince Harry had not quit the royal family. He was still one of the senior royals and the reflection on the crown wa
Surprisingly, no one may have known about the slap had the Foo Fighters themselves not recounted the story years after it happened. By that time, nearly seven years had passed. While the sting of the smack was gone, the incident itself left a lasting impression on Hawkins. He could still remember what led up to the incident and how he handled the aftermath.
Fans were very displeased with the actions of Prince Harry. And in the little over a year of Hawkins' passing, complete with touching tributes to the drummer, it was clear that the displeasure towards the prince has not waned when the story was rehashed.
Here is why critics still have not forgiven Prince Harry for slapping Taylor Hawkins.
How Prince Harry And Taylor Hawkins Knew One Another
Before Prince Harry met Hawkins and the rest of the Foo Fighters, he was a huge fan of their music. Because of this, the Duke of Sussex wanted the band to play at the closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry reached out to Chris Martin to ask if he could have Dave Grohl's phone number to ask him personally to play. The band confirmed they would be able to play the event, even though their schedule was "really tight."
Before the band performed, Prince Harry wanted to meet them. It was during this time that the royal and Hawkins came face to face for the first time.
Prince Harry met and spoke with each band member. Everything was lighthearted and cordial during the conversations. And then when Prince Harry started chatting with Hawkins, it was moments later that the infamous slap occurred.
Why Prince Harry Slapped Taylor Hawkins
Despite what many may think, the slap Prince Harry gave Hawkins was not one done out of anger. Instead, it was done in jest and perhaps even as a way to get Hawkins prepared for the show that night.
"He walked in and goes, ‘How are you doing?’ I said, ‘I can’t wake up. I’m so tired,'" Hawkins explained to Howard Stern. "He just goes bam and I went, ‘You motherf—ker.’ He was like, ‘Are you awake now?'"
When asked how he felt about being smacked by the prince, Hawkins replied, "It pissed me off, actually."
However, Hawkins truly did take the slap all in stride, recognizing that Prince Harry did not mean any harm with his physical contact.
"I mean, I got slapped in the face by the prince," Hawkins stated. "That's OK, really, when you think about it."
Hawkins even claimed that he "wore that slap with pride" after it happened.
Despite the fact that Hawkins was able to find the humor in the situation, critics have yet to be able to. And because of this, every time that the incident is mentioned, they roast Prince Harry for his actions.
Why Critics Do Not Forgive Prince Harry For The Slap
In the year plus since Hawkins' death, stories about his antics with the Foo Fighters continue to resurface. When fans did not know about or were reminded about the slapping incident, they were up in arms, and Prince Harry was lambasted for putting his hands on Hawkins.
"Who does that anyway?" one Reddit user asked. "I understand if you're blokey best friends, that could be a sign of affection; but a stranger?"
A second user stated, "It was assault. Watch him describe it on Howard Stern - it was a proper whack. In front of everyone, in front of his work colleagues, and Taylor was too stunned to retaliate and he wouldn’t have been allowed because 1. he’s a PRINCE & 2. all the bodyguards would have prevented it. What a horrible, entitled brat. Those bodyguards must have witnessed so much."
"If I remember correctly Taylor’s reaction was surprise and then brushed it off as sort of a joke and was on friendly terms with him after so Taylor clearly took it like a champ," a third Reddit user said.
"If it was a one-time situation I’d see it just as a [dumb] thing to do, a goof, but from the rumors and accounts of women who were mistreated by him as well as how he treated his bodyguard it’s just more evidence of an abusive personality."
It is clear that regardless of the slap being a joke, fans of Hawkins and critics of Prince Harry did not see it that way. And because of this, the first meeting between Prince Harry and Hawkins is one that will forever go down in infamy.
