Prince Harry Almost Appeared on ‘Saturday Night Live’ To Promote ‘Spare’

(Image credit: Getty)

published 11 February 2023

To promote his memoir Spare, Prince Harry appeared on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert—but he almost appeared on another popular American television show to promote the book: Saturday Night Live.

According to multiple outlets, Harry was this close to appearing on the iconic comedy show, but at the last minute, apparently, the appearance fell through.

According to a source speaking to Page Six, “I know that Harry was all in. He was really serious about doing it—and it would have been great fun as promo for the book. SNL producers have been after Harry for a while. Everyone on the show was really into the idea, and people would have definitely tuned in.”

Another industry insider tells the outlet “There’s always lots of names in the mix, but Harry was definitely a name being discussed.” In fact, sources tell Page Six, the show’s executive producer Lorne Michaels still loves the idea of Harry appearing on the show, either as a host or, as one of the outlet’s sources says, possibly “coming on as a surprise in a sketch.”

This past Saturday night, during the weekly “Weekend Update” sketch, Michael Che asked James Austin Johnson and Devon Walker—who were playing two “British rappers” and former Eton schoolmates of Harry’s—about the royal family. Johnson, playing a character called “Milly Pounds,” said “They’re mean to our boy Harry, alright. We know what really goes down” before rapping about the Duke of Sussex. Even if Harry himself wasn't there, he is still very much the topic of conversation.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.