Prince Harry is getting into acting!
Okay, not really. But he did technically do some acting in a The Late Show with Stephen Colbert skit. He played himself, pretending to want to be a Hallmark Christmas movie actor. That’s a little meta, isn’t it.
In the process, Harry took a swipe at Donald Trump while acknowledging his own family’s history with tyranny.
How did the audience take it? Watch below and see:
Why was Prince Harry on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ this week?
On the Wednesday, December 3 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the eponymous host poked fun at the unassailable volume of Hallmark-style Christmas films.
In addition to the normal, easy-to-ridicule nature of these cheesy romances, the monologue pointed out an odd trend with this year’s batch of films.
So, so many of them seem to feature royalty in some capacity. These are tales of philanthropists or cattle ranchers or general Midwest Princess types falling in love with off-brand European royals.
(Just a reminder: these cheesy films may seem like an indictment of our culture, but they can be a lifeline for actors)
After Colbert reminded the audience that his Catholic upbringing taught him that there’s really only one “royal” for Christmas, he set up the real joke of the bit.
Addressing the audience, Colbert noted how unrealistic it is for these films to portray Americans simply happening to bump into a prince while they’re at work.
This was, of course, when Prince Harry appeared on the stage — to bump into the Late Show host at work.
The Duke of Sussex looked confused as he stepped up and shook hands with Colbert.
“I genuinely thought this was the audition for the Gingerbread Prince saves Christmas in Nebraska,” he joked.
The audience not only applauded, but gave Harry a standing ovation.
‘I heard you elected a king’
Prince Harry then joked that he decided to get into acting because American audiences are “obsessed” with two things: Christmas films and royalty.
Colbert continued the bit by claiming that this isn’t true at all.
Having set up the joke, he left it to Harry to deliver a roast.
“Really?” the Duke of Sussex remarked. “I heard you elected a king.”
The reference to Donald Trump, whose criminal behavior and regular behavior have drawn comparisons to the madness of King George, elicited groans and boos from the audience. Trump’s historic unpopularity is palpable.
“And often making such a big deal about my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather George III,” Harry continued. (George III is both Harry’s 6x great grandfather and his 5x great grandfather)
He laid out his career plans: “I’ll record a self-tape, I’ll fly myself to an audition, settle a baseless lawsuit with the White House. All the things you people on TV do.”
That is a clear reference to CBS paying a $16 million settlement to Trump prior to the Paramount-Skydance acquisition. Critics have accused this of being a bribe. Hopefully, those who paid it will face legal consequences (under a future presidency).
“Hey, Harry, I didn’t do any of those things,” Colbert reminded him. The settlement was not his doing.
“Maybe that’s why you’re canceled,” Harry then quipped. Notably, CBS claimed that canceling their #1 late night show was financial, but most believe that it was to appease Trump. Notably, Trump also believes this.
Is Prince Harry more popular in the US than Donald Trump?
Late Show audiences are familiar with digs at Donald Trump. From Colbert acknowledging Trump’s obvious cognitive decline to highlighting his administration’s various crimes, it’s part of the standard show.
And since Trump’s campaign to silence critics has put multiple late night comedians on the chopping block, critics have only doubled down. Evil triumphs when good people do nothing, after all.
It is no surprise that the audience booed as if on cue when Prince Harry referred to Trump. (Notably, he never once said the man’s name)
Similarly, it should not be a surprise that his arrival prompted a standing ovation.
Contrary to what certain Brits assume about Harry, he and his wife remain fairly well-regarded among Americans.