Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were brutally mocked by a savage joke about money in front of Hollywood's biggest stars at the Golden Globes.
The couple did not attend one of the biggest shows of awards season but it didn't stop host Jo Koy poking fun at them during his opening monologue. After wisecracks at the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper, the comedian turned to Harry and Meghan with a joke about the hit TV series Succession, which later swept the board at the awards show.
He told the audience: "Succession has nine nominations. Just a great series about a rich, white, dysfunctional family, all scheming - oh, wait, that's The Crown. I'm sorry." And taking aim at Harry, Koy followed up with: "How great was Imelda Staunton in The Crown, wasn't she amazing? Her portrayal of the Queen was so good Prince Harry called her and asked her for money."
However, he added: "Like I said, I didn't write all of these! That one wasn't mine!" But he went on to add: "Prince Harry and Meghan will still be paid millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing - and that's just by Netflix!" After the quip, the camera then panned to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, who appeared to be laughing.
The jokes at the Golden Globes come as it is exactly four years since the Sussexes sensationally quit as working royals - and the last 12 months have certainly been their most eventful.
Harry released his controversial memoir Spare; they were dropped from their multi-million dollar Spotify deal; the prince's Invictus Games in Germany was a huge success and rumours buzzed about Meghan possibly restarting her lifestyle blog, The Tig. But as we head into 2024, experts say there is only one way forward for the couple, who were brutally branded losers by The Hollywood Reporter.
However, according to Tessa, Harry and Meghan have been able to retain 'talk-ability' in 2023 - and it could be their 'high-risk' strategy sees them well into the New Year. She explained: "Despite all the rumours, their marriage appears solid, and they remain one of the few global brands that can knock wars and international disasters off the front pages. The question for 2024 is whether they can convert that clickbait appeal into something more durable.
"A lot of the media storms the Sussexes generated this year have been hangovers from the 'truth bombs' detonated in the wake of their departure from the royal family in 2020 (including the race- storm triggered by Endgame ). Beyond the Invictus Games and accompanying Netflix series, Archewell Productions has been conspicuous by its absence.
"What comes next really matters, presumably that's why they are taking their time. While a reconciliation with the Royal Family looks unlikely in the near future, further attacks on the monarchy would be a mistake, with the couple insisting they're looking to the future. There's talk of a 'total system reboot' and Meghan has promised 'exciting things on the slate'.
"We know Archewell Productions is adapting the novel Meet Me at the Lake for television (the romantic storyline, which includes a fatal car crash, leans into the Sussexes' personal brand) while all eyes are on where and when Meghan will launch a much-predicted business venture akin to her old lifestyle blog Tig.
"The couple appears to thrive on a high-risk strategy, but with so many people willing them to fail, they cannot afford to further squander their brand in 2024. The world is watching."
