Royal Expert Has Major Advice for Prince Harry After His 'Toe-Curling' Talk Show Sketch
Prince Harry has never shied away from the spotlight, but his latest attempt at late-night comedy has undoubtedly stirred up backlash. A surprise appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, meant unequivocally to tap into the same charm that once made his 2023 visit a viral sensation, now appears to have been a gamble that has misfired.
The Duke of Sussex joined Colbert on Wednesday, December 3, for a comedy sketch that leaned heavily into America's fascination with royalty and its lightning-rod politics. Playing a tongue-in-cheek version of himself, Harry appeared as an auditionee hoping to get a role in a fictional Hallmark-style movie titled Gingerbread Christmas Prince Saves Christmas in Nebraska. When Colbert questioned why an actual prince would want such a role, Harry quipped, "You Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies, and you're clearly obsessed with royalty, so why not?"
But it was his follow-up dig at Donald Trump that brought the sharpest reaction. When Colbert pushed back on the idea that the US is obsessed with royalty, Harry replied, "Really? I hear you elected a king." The joke referenced the 'No Kings' protests held in October against the Trump administration. Although a few laughs, it was mostly met with boos from the audience.
Weighing in on the same, body language expert Judi James told the Daily Express the change in audience mood is more than just bad timing, reflected in the stark contrast between Harry's two Colbert appearances. "When Harry first appeared on Colbert back in 2023, he was at his peak in terms of confidence and likability," she said. "There was a moment of neural symmetry and groupthink, meaning the audience and the fans back then found Harry just as lovable and hilarious as he found himself."
According to James, that earlier success may be exactly what tempted him back into similar territory. "It was a heady moment for Harry, so it's unsurprising he has returned to the scene of his former triumph to try to recreate some of that love he earned the last time in exactly the same way Meghan has reconstructed the essence of her lifestyle blog The Tig with her latest Netflix shows."
But trying to recapture old magic, she warned, can be trickier than it seems-especially when comedy is involved. "Humor is a very fine-tuned thing, and it's one thing appearing as a charming Prince who is 'up for it' in terms of being teased by the host and winning some comedy points while looking far more relatable and 'real' than expected at the time, and seeming to want to raise the bar in terms of his own comedy performance," she explained. In this latest sketch, James felt Harry may have leaned too far into performance mode. His exaggerated mimicry and animated delivery, she suggested, tipped the moment into 'toe-curling' territory rather than effortless fun.
Dubbing Harry as 'over-enthusiastic,' the expert concluded, "Remembering Meghan's launch into the field of comedy with her 'squatting' sketch, it might be the time for Harry and his wife to stick to the crafting and campaigning." James pointed out how even the royal family, after their It's a Royal Knock-Out backlash, has "largely restricted themselves to making the odd awkward jokes in their speeches."