In a bizarre and tense televised moment, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, ignited a studio-wide uproar during a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The incident, which aired on December 5, 2025, saw the royal unexpectedly walk onto the stage, cutting off the host's opening monologue in what was described as a strange, scripted skit.
A Scripted Skit Turns Awkwardly Hostile
The timing of the segment was notably awkward, coming just hours after news broke that Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle's father, had undergone emergency surgery. The pre-planned royal sketch quickly escalated when Colbert began mocking cheesy Christmas movies about royalty. This prompted Prince Harry to retort with a "Gingerbread Prince" joke, leading to a sharp back-and-forth about whether Americans are truly obsessed with the British royal family.
When Colbert denied such an obsession, Harry fired the line that triggered loud boos from the live studio audience: "Really? I heard you elected a king." Not backing down, the Duke doubled down with a historical reference to King George III, the British monarch during the American Revolution.
The Pointed Dig at Donald Trump
The exchange took a more directly political turn later in the segment. Prince Harry slipped in a clear and pointed dig at former US President Donald Trump. He joked about "settling a baseless lawsuit with the White House," a remark widely interpreted as a reference to his long-running and very public tensions with Trump. This underscored the ongoing friction between the two figures, which has included past public criticisms and legal threats.
Broader Context and Ongoing Scrutiny
This fiery appearance on CBS is not Prince Harry's first clash with the network. It highlights his continued struggle to navigate his public persona in the United States while under intense media scrutiny. A significant part of that scrutiny revolves around the ongoing questions and legal challenges concerning the Duke's U.S. immigration status.
The chaotic segment on The Late Show served as a stark reminder of the delicate balance Harry is trying to maintain: leveraging his royal background for media projects while engaging in the pointed, often political, commentary that defines his new life in America. The incident immediately sparked a flurry of reactions online and in the press, adding another controversial chapter to his post-royal career.
