Stephen Presents: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Stephen Presents: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Date: December 24, 2025

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Overview

This episode is a holiday-themed special featuring Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, as the guest. Stephen Colbert blends satirical humor with heartfelt banter, exploring the American obsession with royal Christmas movies and poking fun at cultural differences between the US and the UK. The highlight is a scripted comedic bit where Prince Harry tries out for the role of a prince in a Hallmark Christmas movie, delivering both playful self-awareness and warm charm.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Royalty and Holiday Traditions

• Tiara Thursday Origin Story (04:18 – 05:27)
  • Stephen and producer Becca reminisce about the origin of the Late Show staff’s "Tiara Thursday" ritual during COVID, wearing tiaras on Zoom for fun.
  • Quote – Becca (05:05): "Everyone was wearing something a little special. We said Tiara Thursday... then it was just known."
  • The tale sets up a royal theme that transitions into the podcast’s main interview with Prince Harry.

Satirizing Royal-Themed Christmas Movies

• Stephen’s Monologue on Holiday Movies (06:15 – 08:10)
  • Stephen humorously dissects the proliferation of royal Christmas films, listing their tropes and outlandish premises.
  • Quote – Stephen (07:08): “As a Catholic, I was taught the crown prince of Christmas was Jesus Christ, but apparently now it’s TV movie actor Gillen Vanover. Sorry, Jesus. Should have booked that walk on role in Los Angeles.”
  • He critiques the unrealistic expectations these movies set — namely, that an average person might randomly meet royalty during the holidays.

Comedy Sketch: Prince Harry’s Hallmark Christmas Audition

• Prince Harry Enters the Scene (08:22 – 13:30)
  • Prince Harry joins in a staged "audition" to be in a Hallmark Christmas film, defending his princely skills and poking fun at traditions.
  • Memorable Quotes:
    • Harry (09:00): “Well, you Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies, and you’re clearly obsessed with royalty, so why not?”
    • Stephen (11:14): “I don’t run a non-PR bed and breakfast slash candy cane factory with my beautiful three daughters, Holly, Tinsel and Popcorn Strang. At least not since the bank foreclosed on it last Christmas Eve...”
    • Harry (12:29): "Stephen, you just have to believe. Doesn’t this prove anything can happen? I mean, minutes ago you said it was impossible. But look, isn’t there a handsome prince standing in front of you right now?”
  • Stephen teases about Harry's qualifications (“Can you ride a horse in a helicopter?”), Harry jokes about his connections (“I might know one [famous TV actress].”), and both mock TV movie plot clichés.
  • The sketch references American and British Christmas traditions, making light of "jumpers," "crackers," and the oddity of Boxing Day.
  • Ultimately, Stephen “awards” Harry the title of Official Late Show Prince of Christmas.

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Tiara Thursday
  • Becca (05:05): "It became tinfoil tiaras. Everyone was wearing something a little special. We said Tiara Thursday."
• On Royal Christmas Movie Tropes
  • Stephen (07:08): "Sorry, Jesus. Should have booked that walk on role in Los Angeles."
• On American Obsession with Royalty
  • Harry (09:00): “You Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies, and you’re clearly obsessed with royalty, so why not?”
• On Movie Qualifications
  • Harry (09:47): "I've got skills. I can ride a horse. I can fly a helicopter. I can ride a horse in a helicopter."
• Self-deprecating Humor
  • Stephen (10:55): “This is about show business. Do you have a personal connection to any famous TV actresses?”
  • Harry (10:57): “I might. I mean, I might know one.”
• Stereotyping Holiday Traditions
  • Harry (10:52): "Like putting on jumpers and pulling crackers on Boxing Day."
  • Stephen (10:58): “Are those even real words?”
• Magical Holiday Ending
  • Harry (12:29): "Stephen, you just have to believe... isn’t there a handsome prince standing in front of you right now?"
  • Stephen (12:49): "I was testing you. You've got the role. Ladies and gentlemen, Harry, the official Late Show Prince of Christmas."

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Segment Timestamps

• Tiara Thursday Story: 04:18 – 05:27
• Stephen’s Monologue on Royal Christmas Movies: 06:15 – 08:10
• Hallmark Movie Comedy Sketch with Prince Harry: 08:22 – 13:30
  • Prince Harry Auditions (entry & jokes): 08:22 – 11:14
  • Holiday spirit & magical ending: 11:14 – 13:30

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Tone and Style

• The episode is irreverent and playful, blending Stephen Colbert’s signature satire with Prince Harry’s self-aware and charming persona.
• British-American culture clash is mined for laughs, with good-natured ribbing about traditions and the absurd premise of royal-themed Christmas movies.

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Conclusion

This festive episode delivers a witty, lighthearted take on both the American fascination with royal stories and the standard Christmas movie formula. Prince Harry proves game for Colbert’s silliness, making the “audition” sketch a standout moment—equal parts parody and genuine holiday cheer.

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Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody. Stephen Colbert here about to read the copy for our sponsor. This is from our friends at Wonderful Pistachios. And I was the wonderful pistachio spokesman for years. Yeah, I have a real close association with nut meat. Okay. You know what they say when they reach for a snack? Don't hold back. And that's exactly the approach with Wonderful Pistachios. The don't hold back snack. These little wonders are so tasty, it feels like getting away with something. But surprise. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 0 grams of regret. That's right. No guilt. Just glory, glory in our nuts. Whether it's a satisfying crack of in shell pistachios, and that's capitalized in shell, or the smooth, instant gratification of no shells. No judgment. That's just it. Just eat. No judgment. I take issue with one thing. It's instant gratification. It's super tasty smooth.

[B]

It's a hard nut smooth.

[A]

Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.

[B]

We can't disparage the nuts.

[A]

You. I'm not disparaging the nut. I'm describing the nut.

[B]

Don't disparage any flavors.

[A]

I'm not. I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board. I love pistachios. I love. I love crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter? Who cares?

[B]

Very good.

[A]

And I love pistachio ice cream.

[B]

Have you had the sea salt and vinegar? Wonderful pistachio. It's delicious. I get em.

[A]

I didn't even know I get them.

[B]

Before the softball games.

[A]

But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Wow.

[A]

Wonderful pistachios has every snack style covered. Right now. There's an obsession with jalapeno lime. There is an obsession session. It's almost a disorder. It's spicy, it's zesty. It's basically a flavor roller coaster in a nut. Snacking on the go. Grab a bag of no shells. Feeling contemplative and want to work for it a little. So earning it, they're saying if you want to earn your nut, crack open those in shell beauties. Either way, it's snacking like a champ. So the next time hunger strikes, don't hold back. Unless it's a hunger strike. And Then it's important that you do. Because whatever you're doing that for, I'm sure it's a worthwhile cause. Snack like you mean it with wonderful pistachios. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more.

[B]

That was a wonderful.

[A]

I wonder what more there is to learn. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios. But evidently there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.

[B]

They got a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.

[A]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Bring it on.

[B]

Nothing bad to say.

[A]

Nut me, nut, nut me with nut meat.

[B]

We're nut.

[A]

No, we got nothing but nut. Nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about nutty. Good. Hey, Ryan Reynolds here, wishing you a very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price. So that means a half day. Yeah. Give it a [e-mail] swimming upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first 3 months only. Speed slow hacker 35 gigabytes of networks. Busy. Taxes and fees extra. Cmintmobile.com. Hey, everybody, it's Stephen Colbert. I'm here with my producer, Becca. Hello, Becca. What are we potting today?

[B]

I have a little ho vocab for you.

[A]

Hit me. Okay, so this is. I explain what these words mean.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

These are bits of vocabulary that are very specific to our show.

[B]

Yes. Okay, so the vocab is T ara Thursday. Do you remember T ara Thursday?

[A]

T ara Thursday during COVID when we would only see each other on Zoom and I was either performing from like a spare bedroom in our house or then later from a tiny little storage room that we converted on the 8th floor of the Ed Sullivan building. On Thursdays, we would wear tiaras just to feel pretty.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I don't remember how it started.

[B]

I remember how it started. Eliora, someone who works on the footage department here, she was sitting in her living room and there was something silver behind her head. And you saw her square during a meeting and you were like, are you wearing a tiara? And then everyone laughed and you were just like, oh, that would be really fun. And then you Went and made a tinfoil tiara.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And then it became tinfoil tiaras. Everyone was wearing something a little special. We said tiara Thursday. And then Ariel Dumar, head writer, bought everyone tiaras from Claire's, shipped them to everyone's address, and then it was just known.

[A]

I still have my tiara.

[B]

I still have my tiara. Tiara.

[A]

It's in my office at home.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. But it was unspoken at one point that Tiara Thursday, you wouldn't say it. You wouldn't say, oh, I like your tiara.

[A]

But on Thursdays you'd come on the Zoom and every single person would have a tiara on.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So we're bringing that royalty of our. Of our late show experience into this podcast tonight with a very special duke who just came on the show.

[A]

The Duke of Sussex.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

This is Prince Harry.

[A]

Great.

[B]

And he wants to be in a Christmas movie.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

This was a really fun bit with him.

[A]

Right?

[B]

All right.

[A]

I mean, the other thing is that every, like every fiber of my Irish American being is like royal family. Really? But he's such a lovely fella.

[B]

He's a lovely guy.

[A]

I really like that. Shows you. He's just. He just seems like a very thoughtful, nice guy. I can't help but really like him.

[B]

Yeah, totally.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you will, too. Here he is on the Late Show Poncho.

[A]

It's the holiday season and y' all know what that means. We're getting enough Christmas movies to last till Purim. There are already more than 80 holiday films this season and they have similar themes. There's a Royal Christmas manor where a prince escapes to a cozy inn for a traditional American Christmas and falls for the innkeeper. A Royal Christmas Hope where a widowed non profit founder meets a visiting prince. And one where a princess escapes to a Montana ranch and falls for a rugged guide called A Royal Montana Christmas. Here's a little peek at a royal Montana Christmas. Streaming and steaming now on Hallmark.

[C]

Look, I understand how impractical this is. I looked up your country. It is very, very far away. What if we tried? I don't wanna lose this.

[A]

Neither do I. But I just need to think about it. Look, I get it. I get it. It's gotta be tough. It's gotta be a tough call to stay with the guy who admits he has to look up where English people come from. But it doesn't stop there. Between Hallmark and the other networks, you could watch a Royal Icing Christmas. The Reluctant Royal. A Royal Christmas Tale. The Royal We. Royal. Ish. A Christmas Castle Proposal and the Crown Prince of Christmas. Now, as a Catholic, I was taught the crown prince of Christmas was Jesus Christ, but apparently now it's TV movie actor Gillen Vanover. Sorry, Jesus. Should have booked that walk on role in Los Angeles. You know, folks, as much as I love these holiday movies, and I do, I think they're a little problematic because they give people the unrealistic expectation that during the holiday season, they're just gonna bump into some prince at their job.

[C]

Excuse me. Or walking down the street.

[A]

I mean, fol. Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, Sussex. What are you doing here? Sorry.

[C]

I. I thought this. I thought this. I genuinely thought this was the audition for the gingerbread prince. Sage. Christmas in Nebraska.

[A]

What? No, I mean, that sounds like a fantastic movie, but you're. You're an actual prince. Why would you be. Why would you want to be in one of those movies?

[C]

Well, you Americans are obsessed with Christmas movies, and you're clearly obsessed with royalty, so why not?

[A]

I. Hold on, hold on.

[B]

I.

[A]

Look, look, I wouldn't say we're obsessed with royalty.

[C]

Really? I heard you. I heard you elected a king.

[A]

That's a fair point. No, he's got a point.

[C]

And after making such a big deal about my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather George iii, well, he was.

[A]

Kind of a jerk.

[C]

Okay? Let it go. Okay, so listen. So what's a real prince got to do to get into a Hallmark movie these days?

[A]

Well, what can you do?

[C]

I've got skills. I can ride a horse.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I can fly a helicopter.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

I can ride a horse in a helicopter.

[A]

I'd like to see that.

[C]

But.

[A]

But look, Harry, this is about show business. It's all about who you know. I mean, do you have a personal connection to any famous TV actresses?

[C]

I might. I. I mean, I might know one.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Um, but listen, Stephen, I'll. I'll do. I'll do anything. I'll do anything. I'll. I'll record a self tape. I'll fly myself to an audition, uh, settle. Settle a baseless lawsuit with the White House. All the things you people on TV do.

[A]

Hey, hey, hey.

[B]

Hey.

[A]

Harry, I didn't do any of those things.

[C]

Maybe that's why you're canceled.

[A]

Might be. Might be.

[C]

But. But seriously, can you. Can you help me? I'll do anything in return.

[A]

Look, Harry, if you want to land one of these Hallmark roles, you've got to practice helping Americans reconnect with what they love about Christmas.

[C]

Okay? Christmas. Right. Wonderful. Okay. Christmas traditions.

[A]

Christmas traditions.

[C]

Like putting on jumpers and pulling crackers on Boxing Day.

[A]

Are those even real words?

[C]

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm never gonna be an American Hallmark Prince. And now I'm stuck here spending the holiday season in your quaint little village of midtown Manhattan.

[A]

Look, I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry. You seem like a nice enough guy, but real life is not like those TV movies. I don't run a non PR bed and breakfast slash candy cane factory with my beautiful three daughters, Holly, Tinsel and Popcorn Strang. At least not since the bank foreclosed on it last Christmas Eve, leaving me so cynical that only a chance encounter with the prince could ever redeem my faith in the holidays.

[C]

Wait, Stephen, listen. Do you see what's happening? Can you hear the sleigh bells?

[A]

Yeah, it's probably one of those Central park horses having a seizure.

[C]

No, no, no, no. Come on, come on, come on. Just look. Suddenly surrounded by beautiful Christmas trees.

[A]

Yeah, it's for a Christmas bit I was gonna do before you interrupted me.

[C]

Oh, Stephen. Stephen, look, it's snowing. No, no.

[A]

Stop it. No. Stop it. This isn't. This isn't snow. They're just already starting to tear down the Ed Sullivan Theater. This is asbestos. The asbestos is giving the horses.

[C]

Stephen, you just have to believe. Doesn't this prove anything can happen? I mean, minutes ago you said it wasn't. It was impossible. But look, isn't there a handsome prince standing in front of you right now?

[A]

Look, Harry, I'm sorry. Harry, Harry, I know you want this, but I'm afraid I have to say I was testing you. You've got the role. Ladies and gentlemen, Harry, the official Late Show Prince of Christmas. Thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. Now streaming on Paramount.

[C]

Plus, it's the epic return of Mayor of Kingstowne Warden. You know who I am.

[A]

Starring Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner.

[C]

I swear in these walls, Emmy award winner Edie Falco.

[A]

You're an ex con who ran this place for years. And now. Now you can't do that. And BAFTA award winner Lenny James.

[C]

You're about to have a plague of outsiders descend on your town. Let me tell you this. There's gonna be consequences.

[A]

Mayor of Kingstowne. New season.

[C]

Now streaming on Paramount.

[B]

Plus, can you believe it's finally Christmas?

[A]

The Paw Patrol is on a roll to the North Pole. Awesome. A Paw Patrol Christmas, the brand new holiday special. Now streaming on Paramount plus.