Joan Rivers has made a joke about the death of Princess Diana.
On a recent episode of "Fashion Police", the E! Entertainment show Rivers hosts, the subject of Kate Middleton, Prince William's wife and the Duchess of Cambridge, came up and the 79-year-old comedian offered the following advice: "If you ever want to go to Paris, fly; don't take the tunnel."
Her comment, a reference to the car crash in a Paris tunnel that killed the princess, has been given traction by the media, with many quoting British viewer Andrew Henry's reaction to the Daily Star.
"It was tasteless to Kate and especially vicious to her husband Wills," Henry told the British tabloid. "There are plenty of other subjects to make fun about in a show about fashion. But that was one step too far. Cruel, vicious and disgusting. Diana was also an icon across the globe. Her charity work was revered and her death was tragic."
Rivers is popular in the UK and, in fact, is popular among the royals. She was a guest at Prince Charles's 2005 wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles.
She received the invitation despite a questionably appropriate opening to a 2002 MC gig at Highgrove, Prince Charles's country estate. The prince was hosting hundreds of important donors to a gala to thank them for supporting his charity, The Prince's Trust. Recruited to open the evening's events, Rivers began with the words, "Your Royal Highness, milords and ladies, fashionistas, and you lucky bitches who married well!"
Rivers had also taken indirect aim at Charles's mother in her comedy, when she said, "Boy George is all England needs - another queen who can't dress."
British audiences haven't shied away from her caustic humor (or "humour") in the past. She has appeared on the "Graham Norton Show" half a dozen times and her UK standup shows have regularly sold out. This includes a televised taping of the 2006 show "Joan Rivers: Before Melissa Pulls the Plug", when she joked about greedy September 11th widows and the audience laughed enthusiastically (Rivers speculated that at least one widow would be devastated at having to return the settlement money if her husband turned up alive).
In 2000, Boy George confronted Rivers while both were guests on Graham Norton's show.
"It was a joke," Rivers matter-of-factly and unapologetically replied.
This would no doubt be her response now, whether or not there are royal invitations at stake.
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