diff --git a/breathe/renderer/sphinxrenderer.py b/breathe/renderer/sphinxrenderer.py
index dff0c982..f2efefa7 100644
--- a/breathe/renderer/sphinxrenderer.py
+++ b/breathe/renderer/sphinxrenderer.py
@@ -1975,27 +1975,26 @@ def visit_function(self, node) -> List[Node]:
                 )
             else:
                 elements = [self.create_template_prefix(node)]
+                # TODO: handle constexpr when parser has been updated
+                #       but Doxygen seems to leave it in the type anyway
+                typ = "".join(n.astext() for n in self.render(node.get_type()))
+                # Doxygen sometimes leaves 'static' in the type,
+                # e.g., for "constexpr static auto f()"
+                typ = typ.replace("static ", "")
                 if node.static == "yes":
                     elements.append("static")
                 if node.inline == "yes":
                     elements.append("inline")
                 if node.kind == "friend":
+                    # In Doxygen up to somewhere between 1.8.17 to exclusive 1.9.1
+                    # the 'friend' part is also left in the type.
+                    # See also: #767, #919
+                    typ = re.sub(r"(^|\s+)friend(\s+)", r"\1\2", typ)
                     elements.append("friend")
                 if node.virt in ("virtual", "pure-virtual"):
                     elements.append("virtual")
                 if node.explicit == "yes":
                     elements.append("explicit")
-                # TODO: handle constexpr when parser has been updated
-                #       but Doxygen seems to leave it in the type anyway
-                typ = "".join(n.astext() for n in self.render(node.get_type()))
-                # Doxygen sometimes leaves 'static' in the type,
-                # e.g., for "constexpr static auto f()"
-                typ = typ.replace("static ", "")
-                # In Doxygen up to somewhere between 1.8.17 to exclusive 1.9.1
-                # the 'friend' part is also left in the type.
-                # See also #767.
-                if typ.startswith("friend "):
-                    typ = typ[7:]
                 elements.append(typ)
                 elements.append(name)
                 elements.append(node.get_argsstring())