“Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong celebrated the series’ second Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series by using his acceptance speech to take a shot at newly crowned British monarch King Charles III.
Armstrong, who hails from the United Kingdom said that it was a “big week for successions,” when he and the hit HBO show’s cast took the stage at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater on Monday night.
“Evidently a little bit more voting than in our winning than for Prince Charles,” the executive producer snarked.
The series’ Scottish patriarch, Brian Cox, chimed in, “Keep it royalist, keep it royalist.”
“I’m not saying we’re more legitimate in our position than he is,” Armstrong replied. “We’ll leave that to other people. But we are incredibly grateful to have this is a wonderful honor. This group is an extraordinary. It’s a team effort.”
Twitter users were split on whether the commentary crossed the line. “Sometimes when you’re given an award, the best thing to say is simply thank you,” one person tweeted. “Inappropriate and literally wrong. Sad he had to ruin this moment with BS,” added another.
“Except he is literally … right,” a replier remarked. “No one voted for Charles. People voted for them to win.”
“Fair play to him, even in jest he’s speaking for many silenced people in the UK who would prefer a democratically elected Head of State, one who pays the same taxes as the rest of us,” another said.
King Charles III ascended the throne officially on Saturday, two days after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96. The former Prince of Wales bestowed the title on his eldest son William, who along with his wife Katherine, were newly minted Prince and Princess of Wales.
Prince William is the next heir to the monarchy, followed by his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. His younger brother Prince Harry is fifth in the line of succession.
Some Twitter users were shocked that minor children could potentially inherit the United Kingdom’s highest title.
“This is why the monarchy is so comical to me. Imagine any other job being like ‘so our back-up options for the position are an amateur helicopter pilot, three kids in primary school, and a podcaster in Santa Barbara,'” joked writer Rohita Kadambi.
Prince Harry, who along with his wife Meghan Markle, stepped down as a senior royal in 2020, will reportedly not be allowed to wear his military uniform to the final vigil for the Queen at Westminster Hall, despite serving in the British Army for ten years.
Disgraced Jeffrey Epstein pal, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s son, will be allowed to don his Navy uniform “as a special mark of respect.”
Oprah Winfrey, who conducted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2021 bombshell interview, where Markle revealed that senior royals were concerned about son Archie’s skin color prior to his birth, said that that the Queen’s passing was a could be an “opportunity” to reconcile with the royal family.
“Well, this is what I think, I think in all families – you know, my father passed recently, this summer, and when all families come together for a common ceremony, the ritual of, you know, burying your dead, there’s an opportunity for peacemaking. And hopefully, there will be that,” Winfrey said in recent interview.