The BBC has defended a controversial joke about Prince Harry which suggested the young royal had snorted cocaine.

Comedian Jo Brand made the quip on BBC1 quiz show Have I Got News for You on Friday night as panellists discussed the christening of Prince George.

The 56-year-old stand up star said: ‘George’s godparents include Hugh van Cutsem – I presume that’s a nickname as in Hugh van cuts ’em and Harry then snorts ’em.’

Comedian Paul Merton was seen gaping at the guest presenter, while a stunned Ian Hislop balked and asked: ‘Have we lost the lawyers?’

The corporation is now under fire for allowing the joke to be left in after the pre-recorded show was edited. Last night it insisted the remark was ‘tongue in cheek’.

Critics have also attacked the programme for mistakenly naming Hugh van Cutsem, rather than William van Cutsem, as Prince George’s godfather. Hugh, a longtime friend of Prince Charles from Cambridge University, died last month.

Although Miss Brand did not write the joke, she has announced she will not apologise for the comment, which she read from an autocue.

The presenter, a member of anti-monarchist group Republic, said: ‘I didn’t write it. I read it out from the autocue. I thought it was funny. I don’t really understand what the fuss is about.

‘I am not going to apologise. I didn’t write it but I did say it so I am culpable in some way.’

Prince Harry, 29, a captain with the Army Air Corps who has served on two tours to Afghanistan, has previously confessed to smoking cannabis when he was a teenager. However, he has never been accused of taking cocaine or any other class A drugs.

Former head of the Army Lord Dannatt told a Sunday newspaper: ‘It might have been said as a joke but the suggestion is outrageous. It is a very unfortunate joke to make and most inappropriate.’

Tory defence minister Anna Soubry added: ‘That is disgraceful, shoddy, appalling and out of order. Prince Harry does an outstanding job in the Army and always goes the extra mile to help wounded service personnel and veterans.

‘Jo Brand should not have stooped to that level and both she and the BBC should apologise. It is a really cheap shot at somebody who has no right of reply and they know will not sue for libel.’

A Clarence House spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘We wouldn’t comment on something like that.’

However, the BBC said in a statement: ‘Have I Got News For You is a satirical news quiz and the audience is used to the often irreverent humour. This was clearly a tongue-in-cheek comment.’

It is the latest in a series of blunders by the BBC over their coverage of Prince George’s christening.

Jeremy Paxman forgot Kate Middleton’s title as he announced her return to public life on Newsnight last week, while BBC News was also criticised for treating the occasion as a ‘tail-end afterthought’ on its six o’clock and ten o’clock bulletins.

BBC2’s current affairs show Newsnight failed to mention it at all.

据英国《每日邮报》10月27日报道，英国广播公司的嘉宾主持人25日开玩笑说哈里王子吸食可卡因，此举遭到了谴责。

喜剧演员乔•布兰德在《我有消息告诉你吗》（Have I Got News for You）栏目里说：“乔治王子的教父包括休•范卡特森（Hugh van Cutsem）——我猜这是一个绰号，休•范卡森特把姓氏里的‘em’名字里去掉（cuts ’em），而哈里王子呼出‘em’”。

批评人士指出，该栏目组张冠李戴，乔治王子的教父是威廉•范卡森特而非休•范卡森特，后者是查尔斯王储的老友，已于上个月过世。

布兰德是反对君主制团体“共和国”（Republic）的一员，她告诉《星期日电讯报》：“我没有编写这则笑话，我支持根据字幕机把它读出来。我认为这很有趣，我不明白这有什么好大惊小怪的。我不会道歉。”

英国广播公司在声明里说：“《我有消息 告诉你吗》是一种恶作剧，观众习惯了那种无礼的幽默。这显然是一种半开玩笑式的言论。”

现年29岁的哈里王子是陆军航空队的上尉。陆军航空队前负责人达纳特告诉《星期日电讯报》：“这或许只是一个玩笑，但它背后的用意却是令人无法容忍的，这是一个非常不恰当的笑话。”

保守派的国防部长安娜•苏布赖补充说：“这是非常可耻、卑劣、骇人听闻的。哈里王子在军队里的工作非常杰出，他经常加班飞行来帮助伤员。乔•布兰德不应该自贬身份开那样的玩笑，她和英国广播公司都应该道歉。”

英国王室发言人告诉《每日邮报》：“我们不会对此做出评论。”

哈里此前曾坦言少年时期曾吸食过大麻，但是他从未被指控过吸食可卡因或任何A级毒品。