SNL UK Season 2 Opens with Scathing Royal Family Sketch at Balmoral
The second season of SNL UK premiered this weekend, launching with an opening sketch that takes sharp aim at the British royal family. The cold open transports viewers to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pay a visit to King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Cast and Characters
The sketch features Jack Shep as Prince Harry and Ayoade Bamgboye as Meghan Markle. Larry Dean portrays King Charles, while Emma Sidi takes on the role of Queen Camilla. The ensemble wastes no time establishing the tense dynamic between the Sussexes and the monarch.
Charles Delivers Cutting Lines to Harry
King Charles immediately confronts his younger son about the visit, delivering a biting remark about the couple’s commercial ventures. “Don’t tell me you’ve spent all your Netflix money already,” Charles says to Harry.
The sketch escalates from there. The most brutal joke lands when Charles tells Harry, “What a waste you’ve become. You’re lucky your father isn’t around to see this.”
The line references Prince Philip, Harry’s grandfather, who died in 2021. The remark underscores the show’s willingness to mine the ongoing public fractures within the royal family for comedy.
SNL UK Continues Satirical Tradition
The season two premiere signals that the British adaptation of the long-running American franchise intends to match its counterpart’s political and cultural bite. By centering the monarchy — a perennial lightning rod in UK media — the sketch sets a provocative tone for the season ahead.
