Earlier this week, on Wednesday (3 December), Prince Harry made a surprise TV appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Midway through the programme, the Duke of Sussex launched into a short sketch built around the idea that he was auditioning for a Hallmark-style Christmas film as a 'Gingerbread Prince'.
Colbert then pressed Harry on why he fancied the part to which he responded: "Well, you Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies, and you’re clearly obsessed with royalty, so why not?"
The TV host then pushed back, saying: "Hold on, I wouldn’t say we’re obsessed with royalty."
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Harry took no time at all to joke back with: "I heard you elected a king."
Such a quip is a not-so-subtle nod to Donald Trump calling himself a king in February 2025 while fighting New York’s congestion pricing plan, which had sparked a run of 'No Kings' protests across the country.
The 'No Kings' demonstrations swept across the States, with nearly seven million people protesting what organisers called Trump’s 'authoritarian power grabs'.
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Trump mocked the nationwide demonstrations by posting AI-generated videos on his Truth Social, including one featuring himself wearing a crown, flying a 'King Trump' fighter jet, and bombing a crowd of protesters with 'faeces'.
Harry then ribbed Colbert about Americans choosing the 79-year-old Republican 'after making such a big deal about my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather, George III'.
Continuing the joke, Colbert then shrugged it off with: "Well, he was kind of a jerk."
Harry carried on with the joke about securing this imaginary Christmas role, claiming he’d 'do anything' for it.
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"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," the father of two said, prompting Colbert to cut in saying: "Hey hey hey, Harry, I didn’t do any of those things."
"Maybe that’s why you’re cancelled," Harry then jokingly shot back, referring to Paramount’s disputed July decision to settle a lawsuit from Trump for $16 million while navigating a potential merger with Skydance Media.
Colbert spoke out against Paramount's decision to pay Trump $16 million (£12m), describing the payment as a 'big fat bribe' and later announced his show was being cancelled, though he later clarified the call had been made before he’d taken aim at Paramount’s payout.
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In a release signed by Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks, CBS' Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach, and the firm's Studios president David Stapf, it was agreed that Colbert's show would come to an end in May 2026.
"We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time," the statement continued. "We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television."
Topics: Donald Trump, News, Politics, Prince Harry, Royal Family, UK News
Rhiannon Ingle