A television cameo by Prince Harry raised concerns about whether his mocking comments about President Donald Trump could jeopardize the royal titles he continues to hold despite moving to the United States.
Prince Harry made an unexpected appearance on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, stepping into a Christmas-themed sketch where he delivered a line that drew loud boos from the audience.
Viewers saw him joke that Americans had “elected a king,” a remark that referenced the “No Kings” protests that brought large crowds into major cities in October to oppose the Trump administration.
The Duke of Sussex continued with a series of jokes, including criticism of CBS for resolving what he called a “baseless” lawsuit involving the President.
Prince Harry is a POS. How dare this a$$hole insult our President? This fvcking piece of trash.
DEPORT THIS MAN NOW.#princeharry @StateDept @SecRubio pic.twitter.com/GWqWYnAamv
— TR G – The Royal Grift (@TheRoyalGrift) December 4, 2025
He also said the United States was “obsessed with royalty,” weaving political commentary into a comedic routine intended to promote holiday programming.
Harry joined Colbert for a prerecorded Hallmark-style parody, which left viewers were shocked when the prince appeared behind Colbert during the bit, drawing gasps from the audience before applause.
“Excuse me, Stephen?” he said after walking onto the stage as Colbert turned to welcome him.
Prince Harry makes a surprise appearance on the Stephen Colbert show doing a "King For a Day" Lip-Syncing Great British Bake Off co-host Alison Hammond’s voice. Weird timing with the German State visit and his wife's cooking show debut on Netflix. Cringey at best! #royalnews… pic.twitter.com/hSQdKZh35a
— Royal Daily Tea (@RoyalDailyTea) December 4, 2025
The host introduced him formally, saying, “Folks, it’s Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales Sussex. What are you doing here?”
The duke responded with deliberately awkward humor, pretending he was lost while searching for an audition.
I am sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but honestly, I do think Prince Harry is the Donkey of 2025! Meghan has damaged his reputation beyond repair, and nothing can restore it. What a clown🤡 pic.twitter.com/LS2fZuFPAA
— Julia Unleashed (@JuliaUnleashed) December 4, 2025
“Sorry, I genuinely thought this was the audition for The Gingerbread Prince Saves Christmas in a Basket,” he said, prompting laughter from the studio.
Colbert questioned why a real prince would participate in a made-for-television movie.
“Well, you Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies and you’re clearly obsessed with royalty, so why not?” Harry shot back.
Talentless grifter Prince Harry gets booed on Colbert for making a joke about Trump being a king. pic.twitter.com/hx4m2ZqPvj
— 🇺🇸 Red Pill Czar 🇺🇸 (@RedPillCzar) December 4, 2025
Colbert attempted to push back, saying Americans were not fixated on monarchy, leading Harry to reply, “Really? I heard you elected a king.”
Colbert, who has been publicly feuding with Trump, conceded, “You’ve got a point.”
Harry then added a reference to King George III, his sixth great-grandfather, noting how often Colbert mentioned him. When the host called the monarch “a jerk,” Harry replied, “Let it go.”
Harry continued listing his qualifications for a fictional Hallmark role, joking, “I can ride a horse, I can fly a helicopter, I can ride a horse in a helicopter!”
Colbert asked whether he had any ties to a well-known TV actress, to which Harry slyly answered, “I might know one,” in reference to his “Suits” actress wife Meghan Markle.
He insisted he would do “anything” for the part and followed with, “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 in TV do.”
His remark referred to the settlement CBS reached with President Trump earlier this year after a dispute involving an interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
ABC also resolved a lawsuit with Trump after a separate on-air statement by a network anchor.
When Harry mentioned the CBS agreement, Colbert replied, “I didn’t do that,” about the network’s thirty-six million dollar settlement.
Harry responded by teasing Colbert about his show’s scheduled end in 2026, saying, “Maybe that’s why you were canceled.”
As the skit shifted back to Christmas themes, Colbert told the duke he needed to help remind Americans what they appreciate about the holiday season.
Harry offered traditions such as “putting on jumpers and pulling crackers on Boxing Day,” prompting Colbert to ask, “Are those even real words?”
Harry eventually joked he was unlikely to be cast as an American movie prince, adding that he would now be spending the holidays in “your quaint little village of Midtown Manhattan.”
Artificial snow began falling as he announced himself a “handsome prince” and Colbert invited him to take the title of “official Late Show prince of Christmas.”
Born the younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales, Harry remains fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.
His participation in the sketch represented his second appearance on the Late Show, following a 2023 visit to promote his memoir “Spare.”
Harry’s seemingly light-hearted appearance on the late night show may cause scrutiny in the United Kingdom due to Harry’s joke about the President.
Analysts have noted that his comments could place King Charles in an uncomfortable position, as Harry remains a titled member of the monarchy.
Tom Sykes, editor of the Royalist newsletter on Substack, argued that Harry’s remarks may force the royal family to reassess his status.
Sykes began, “I think the Royal Family has no real choice,” adding his belief that Harry will be stripped of his title.
“Harry believes he’s free to speak his mind now that he’s no longer a working royal,” Sykes pointed out, noting that the distinction is not clear to global audiences.
“But he isn’t Harry Wales. He’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. And in the American imagination, he still carries the full aura of a prince, a representative of the monarchy,” the royal expert observed.
He added that many American viewers do not understand the separation between Harry and official royal duties.
“Charles and William may be hundreds of miles away in Balmoral or Windsor, but in the American mind they are standing just offstage as Harry delivers his punchlines,” he continued.
Sykes suggested that because of this, many Americans would “simply see a British prince insulting their head of state.”
He argued that removing the titles would provide clarity, saying it would create a “clear blue line between Prince Harry the royal and Harry the private citizen” and shield the institution from potential repercussions.
Sykes described the appearance as a pivotal moment, noting Harry’s transition away from official duties following his departure with Meghan Markle in what became known as Megxit.
Sykes said Harry “either doesn’t understand the danger he walked into last night, or he simply no longer cares,” suggesting his apparent need for public attention may outweigh diplomatic caution.
He viewed Harry’s decision to joke about Trump as particularly sensitive considering current American political tensions.
Sykes noted that Harry had stepped into discussions involving deportation and concerns about authoritarianism and described the behavior as “foolish and reckless.”
He stated that Harry likely believed he was offering a playful remark, but instead “plunged headlong into America’s defining fear.”
Sykes claimed that the Trump administration was quick to cancel the visas of critics, framing the United States as a country where “political deviation” can lead to consequences.
He pointed out that Harry’s own disclosures in “Spare” have resulted in calls from political allies of Trump to release his visa records.
“He has been threatened with deportation himself,” Sykes said, adding that political figures have sought to challenge the prince’s residency based on past admissions in his memoir.
He concluded that “against that backdrop, his decision to publicly mock a famously thin-skinned US president feels almost destructive.”