Wills and Harry at Gervais gig

The Royals sneaked into his Fame show at the Hammersmith Apollo on Thursday night and were said to be ‘laughing out loud throughout the show’.

They especially liked a routine about their grandmother’s peeing habits, according to reports. Gervais tells a story of his father’s workplace spending thousands on a special toilet for the Queen when she visited in the Seventies - but she never used it.

An audience member told The Sun newspaper: ‘Far from being upset, Wills and Harry were Bent Double with laughter. People were looking to see how they’d react but they’ve got a good sense of humour.’

William, 25, and Harry, 22, entered the theatre by the back door shortly before Gervais started at 8.40pm, accompanied by their bodyguards, but not their girlfriends.

Gervais is clearly becoming the princes’ favourite court jester. He appeared at the concert for Princess Diana in July, when he desperately had to full time before Elton John's closing set.

At the Wembley gig, Harry made a joke at the expense of the Extras star, saying: ‘When William and I first had the idea [for the event], we forgot we would end up standing here desperately trying to think of something funny to say. We'll leave that to the funny people - and Ricky Gervais.’

The princes’ father is a celebrated fan of the Goons, and their great-aunt, Princess Margaret, was a close friend of Peter Sellers.

Published: 15 Sep 2007