Prince Harry made an unexpected — and riotously funny — appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wednesday night, joining the host for a holiday-themed sketch that had the audience howling and ended with the pair nearly sharing a TV-movie-style kiss.

Colbert opened the show with a monologue poking fun at the ubiquity of Christmas rom-coms where a regular American falls in love with a royal. He lamented that such movies give people “unrealistic expectations” about bumping into a prince on their morning commute.

Right on cue, Harry strolled onstage.

Harry’s Entrance: “I thought this was an audition!”

The Duke of Sussex, 41, joked that he believed he was walking into an audition for a fictional Hallmark-style movie titled The Gingerbread Prince Saves Christmas in Nebraska.

He then asked Colbert what it takes for a real prince to land a holiday movie role.

Colbert fired back: did Harry have “any connections to any famous TV actresses?”

“I might know one,” Harry grinned — a playful nod to his wife, former Suits actress Meghan Markle.

Hollywood Jabs and a “Canceled” Comeback

Harry leaned fully into the meta-humor, poking fun at industry stereotypes:

“I’ll settle a baseless lawsuit with the White House … all the things you people in TV do!”

Colbert protested, “I didn’t do any of those things.”

Harry shot back:

“Maybe that’s why you’re canceled.”

The audience erupted — and the chemistry between the two only escalated from there.

A Hallmark Romance… With a Twist

Midway through the exchange, the set magically transformed into a classic Christmas-movie scene: evergreens, twinkling lights, and gently falling fake snow.

Leaning into the parody, Colbert and Harry grabbed each other’s faces and moved in as if about to kiss — a perfect spoof of the genre’s melodramatic holiday couplings. They stopped just shy of contact, leaving the audience roaring.

Colbert then awarded him the fictional role of:

“The official Late Show prince of Christmas.”

A Political Punchline: Boos for Trump Joke

In another moment from the segment, Harry cracked a political joke that drew a mixed reaction, including boos, when he quipped that Americans “elected a king” — referring to President Donald Trump.

Harry has largely avoided political humor in U.S. media appearances, making the line especially surprising.

A Rare Late-Night Appearance With Viral Energy

The sketch marks one of Harry’s lightest and most playful TV moments in recent years — a welcome shift from the often heavy coverage surrounding the Royal Family, his memoir Spare, and the ongoing conversation about his and Meghan’s public roles.

Within hours, clips of the near-kiss and the Trump joke went viral across social media, reminding viewers why Harry’s unscripted humor and Colbert’s sharp improv make for a reliably explosive pairing.