The satirical animated show South Park has recently garnered attention for its contentious portrayal of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In the episode, the couple is ridiculed with a series of jokes that reference significant events from the past few years. Many viewers have deemed the episode as “brutal,” and there have been reports that Markle was “upset” by its content.
A spokesperson for the couple has denied rumors of a lawsuit, calling the speculation “nonsense.” Nonetheless, the episode holds nothing back, staying true to South Park’s signature style. Here are some of the references that may have gone unnoticed.
The “social media candle furore” is referenced in the episode when the characters based on Harry and Meghan attend the funeral of the Canadian Queen. As they arrive, they walk past a candle that looks identical to the one that sparked social media discussions in September. Unverified claims suggested that the royal family purposely sat Markle behind the candle during the televised broadcast of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Many viewers claimed that they could only see Markle’s black hat during the broadcast.
The book Harry is promoting in the episode is titled WAAAGH, a nod to his memoir Spare, which was published in January. In the book, Harry spoke of his hatred of the press, his strained relationship with his brother William, and his struggles with loneliness, trauma, and PTSD. In the episode, Kyle tells his friends, “They have this huge jet parked in front of my house, and they keep on wanting me to buy their book.”
In the episode, the characters based on Harry and Meghan meet with a brand manager who labels Meghan as a “sorority girl, actress, influencer, and victim.” Meanwhile, Harry is described as a “royal prince, millionaire, world traveller, victim.” Meghan’s profile also features the phrases “Lawyer Pretending” and “First Lady Botherer” among her list of hobbies. The former is a reference to Meghan’s role in the legal drama Suits, while the latter is a nod to quotes made by royal expert Tom Bower in Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors. Bower claims that Michelle Obama was “alarmed” following a series of meetings with Markle, who was allegedly unsure how to find her place within the royal family. He claimed that Obama told Markle, “Take some time and don’t be in a hurry to do anything.”
Harry and Meghan’s multiple TV appearances, including their sit-down with Oprah Winfrey and appearance on ITV News, are also parodied in the episode. The characters based on the pair appear on Good Morning Canada to insist that they want privacy. However, the host points out that Meghan is holding a sign reading, “Do not look at us,” and Harry’s sign states, “We do not want privacy.” When the host asks the prince if he “hates journalists,” he replies, “That’s right. We just want to be normal people – all this attention is so hard.” They end up walking off the show.
The royal couple gives up their duties to move to South Park in the episode, with the character based on Meghan exclaiming, “If we moved here, people would think we’re really serious about wanting to be normal.” This is a direct reference to the couple’s move to California after announcing they would step down as senior royals in 2020.
