Saturday Night Live delivered one of its sharpest pop-culture jabs of the year over the weekend, casting Prince Harry as a "British hostage" and Meghan Markle as an "American terrorist" during a primetime segment in New York, a moment that has intensified scrutiny over the couple's standing in U.S. media and entertainment circles.
The joke aired during the show's satirical news segment, where host Colin Jost framed King Charles III's recent visit to the United States as a covert rescue mission. Jost told viewers the trip was about "seek[ing] the release of a British hostage being held by an American terrorist," as an image of Harry and Meghan appeared on screen.
The deliberately provocative phrasing underscored a shift in tone from earlier portrayals of the Sussexes as sympathetic figures following their 2020 departure from royal duties. The couple has not publicly responded to the segment, and the program presented the remark as satire rather than commentary.
The timing of the sketch amplified its impact. Harry and Meghan were notably absent from the Met Gala held in Manhattan the same weekend, an event where their presence had once been widely anticipated given their positioning within U.S. celebrity culture.
Their absence, combined with the SNL portrayal, has prompted renewed discussion about their cultural standing in Hollywood and beyond.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams argued the sketch reflects a broader change in how entertainment platforms view Meghan. "The normally liberal SNL finds Meghan funny," he told the Daily Express, adding, "One of Meghan's most infuriating characteristics is the way she takes herself so seriously. She seems immersed in positivity. It's relentless but cannot overlook the fact that, apart from her mother she has fallen out with both sides of her family."
Fitzwilliams also claimed Meghan has struggled to maintain relationships within the entertainment industry, stating, "She also has a disastrous habit of falling out with Hollywood's top power brokers," and adding that "reports have indicated that Netflix's executives don't trust her and can't stand her either." No direct confirmation from Netflix was included in the material cited.
The critique extends beyond individual commentary. Veteran royal biographer Phil Dampier told the Daily Mail that public sentiment may be shifting more broadly. "I think people in America have generally fallen out of love with Harry and Meghan," he said, though no polling data was cited to support that assessment.
The Sussexes' trajectory in the United States has been closely watched since their relocation to California, where they have pursued commercial ventures and media partnerships following their departure from royal life.
Recent developments tied to their public profile include:
- Continued appearances at high-profile events, including fashion and entertainment gatherings
- Ongoing media and business ventures following earlier deals with streaming platforms
- New commercial partnerships, including reported involvement in AI-driven fashion platforms
At the same time, the couple has faced a more critical media environment, particularly as expectations around their projects have evolved.
The SNL segment highlights how late-night television - traditionally a barometer of mainstream cultural sentiment - can reflect and accelerate shifts in public perception. Comedy portrayals often distill complex reputational dynamics into simplified narratives, and in this case, the framing of Harry as passive and Meghan as dominant echoes a longstanding caricature that has circulated in both British and American media.
