Prince Harry sparks boos on Late Show with Stephen Colbert as he mocks ‘King’ Trump
On Wednesday night’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex made a surprise cameo that stirred immediate reaction from the live audience — and not all cheers. The sketch began innocently enough: Harry was “auditioning” to be a Christmas-movie “prince” in a tongue-in-cheek, Hallmark-style bit.
As the sketch unfolded, what started as lighthearted banter shifted into pointed satire. Harry turned to a political joke: when the host — Stephen Colbert — dismissed the notion that Americans were obsessed with royalty, Harry quipped, “Really? I hear you elected a king.” The remark was widely understood as a jab at Donald Trump, and the line triggered boos and groans from the studio crowd.
But the mockery didn’t stop there. Harry went on to reference a legal settlement between the show’s network (CBS) and Trump, sarcastically suggesting that the kind of actions taken in showbiz — “record a self-tape, fly myself to an audition, settle a baseless lawsuit with the White House” — were exactly what it took to get ahead. When Colbert protested he wasn’t involved, Harry replied with, “Maybe that’s why you’re cancelled.” The audience’s reaction didn’t soften.
What was meant to be jolly holiday-cheer turned into a politically loaded moment. For many in the audience, the joke crossed a threshold — turning satire into provocation. Analysts described the bit as “toe-curling,” suggesting Harry may have miscalculated how a largely U.S. audience would respond to pointed satire about their current or former leaders.
Media coverage highlighted the stark split in reception. Some described it as a bold, satirical blow, unafraid to call out figures perceived as powerful. Others framed the segment as awkward or poorly timed — especially as it came during a festive, light-hearted sketch that many expected to be purely comedic.
What remains clear is this: a brief eight-minute sketch intended for laughs ended up stirring widespread reaction. The “king” joke — small in words but heavy in implication — transformed a holiday-style comedy bit into a partisan flashpoint, underscoring just how volatile late-night satire has become in today’s political climate.
