Australian comedian finds out Prince Philip has died during joke about him
Watch: Comedian learns Prince Philip news partway through royal routine
An Australian comedian has shared the incredibly badly timed moment he learned of Prince Philip's death - while on stage, mid-joke about the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Lewis Spears was performing a stand-up show in Melbourne on Friday night when he began to make a controversial joke about the Queen's husband, but was stopped by an audience member who shouted out that the senior royal had just died.
Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pay tribute to Prince Philip after his death
He began making reference to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, where they said that someone unnamed in the royal family had questioned what their son Archie's skin tone would look like before he was born.
In a video of the gig, Spears is seen saying: "Oh, Meghan Markle says the royal family is racist ... also yes!
"Have you guys seen Prince Philip? That c*** is 3000 years old, I’m pretty sure he invented racism."
At that point, the comedian's audience break the news to him that his comedy timing could not have been worse.
To prove that he isn't just being heckled, another person in the crowd holds up their phone to show the news report of Prince Philip's death.
Spears looks taken aback before continuing: "I have to say...it’s a bit overdue.
“Are we sure he died today? I reckon he died 10 years ago and they wheel him out attached to strings at special events."
He later posted on Instagram a mocked up photo of himself reading from a book titled Death Note and captioned it: "My jokes might be cursed. Who’s next?"
Prince Philip died on Friday morning aged 99 and his funeral is set to take place at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Saturday, April 17.
In accordance with his wishes and to stop large crowds gathering during coronavirus restrictions, it will not be a state funeral and members of the public have been asked not to travel to Windsor to pay their respects.
Prince Harry, who now lives in the US, has arrived back in England to attend his grandfather's funeral.
The Queen was married to Prince Philip for 73 years, making him the longest-serving consort of a British monarch as she was Queen for 69 years of their marriage.
Watch: Duke 'legend of the banter' - Prince Harry
