Prince Harry popped up on American TV again—because of course he did—and this time the globe-trotting California royal wandered onto The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for what might be the most painfully awkward holiday skit ever broadcast. And in true Sussex fashion, he couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Donald Trump, telling Colbert’s audience that Americans “elected a king.” Predictably, the liberal crowd booed on cue, though many viewers online seemed to agree the real cringe came from Harry himself.
And while Harry was clowning around in fake snow, the Daily Mail revealed a real-life family crisis: Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, is reportedly fighting for his life in intensive care in the Philippines following emergency surgery. Neither Meghan nor Harry mentioned him—though Meghan did post a bizarre lip-sync video of Harry on Instagram just hours after the news broke.
The whole spectacle began when Colbert joked about cheesy holiday movies like The Gingerbread Prince Saves Christmas in a Basket. Right on cue, Harry popped up behind him—literally appearing out of nowhere—to “audition” for the imaginary film.
“Excuse me, Stephen?” he said, drawing a standing ovation at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
He claimed he thought he was attending “the audition for The Gingerbread Prince Saves Christmas in a Basket,” and the two launched into a scripted bit about Hallmark movies, with Harry insisting Americans are “obsessed with royalty,” then doubling down by quipping: “Really? I heard you elected a king.”
The audience booed, Colbert smirked, and Harry—apparently believing he’d landed a knockout political punchline—charged on.
In what looked like a bid to impress Colbert’s progressive fanbase, Harry pointedly mocked CBS for paying $36 million (reported as $16 million in other accounts) to settle a lawsuit with Trump.
“I’ll do anything… settle a baseless lawsuit with the White House, all the things you people in TV do,” he said, prompting Colbert to clarify, “I didn’t do that.”
Harry then lobbed another jab: “Maybe that’s why you were canceled.” The Late Show wasn’t canceled, of course, but accuracy rarely gets in the way of Sussex showmanship.
The prince then rattled off his résumé like a teenager trying to land a talent-show cameo:
“I’ve got skills. I can ride a horse, I can fly a helicopter, I can ride a horse in a helicopter!”
Colbert, nodding to Meghan, teased: “This is showbusiness… do you have a personal connection to any famous TV actresses?”
“I might know one,” Harry deadpanned.
After more self-deprecation—“I’ll do anything”—Colbert finally bestowed upon him the mock title of “official Late Show prince of Christmas.”
Harry even dragged 18th-century history into the bit, again referencing King George III. After Colbert said the monarch was “kind of a jerk,” Harry instructed him to “let it go.”
The sketch ended with the pair embracing on a fake snowy set straight out of a Hallmark parody. Many viewers online described the moment as “painful,” “awkward,” and “beyond cringe.”
As if the TV appearance wasn’t enough, Meghan posted a clip of Harry lip-syncing and mugging exaggerated expressions in a recreation of a Great British Bake Off meme. In the video, Harry plays Brummie host Alison Hammond while Colbert mimics baker Mark Lutton—culminating in giggles about mishearing “bake for me” as “beg for me.”
This was Harry’s second Late Show appearance, following his January 2023 visit while promoting Spare. He’s also made rounds on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show and James Corden’s since-canceled Late Late Show. For someone who claims he hates the spotlight, the Duke certainly seems determined to chase it—one awkward skit at a time.
