Saturday Night Live UK launched its second season with a satirical cold open lampooning Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to England.
Balmoral Castle Reunion and Netflix Budget Jokes on Saturday Night Live UK
The second-season premiere of Saturday Night Live UK opened with a sketch depicting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arriving at Balmoral Castle in Scotland to visit King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
King Charles expressed immediate dismay at his son’s reappearance, questioning whether the couple had already burned through their streaming revenue. Accounts from reporting note that Larry Dean’s King Charles III asked incredulously, Don’t tell me you’ve spent all your Netflix money already?
Prince Harry replied, It was $60 million. How long was it meant to last?
Emma Sidi’s Queen Camilla greeted them by saying, Hello, sweet Harry,
and added, And beautiful Meghan, as brown as ever.
This remark referenced the Duke and Duchess’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they revealed that an unnamed member of the royal family had concerns about how dark their unborn son Archie’s skin might be. The sketch also targeted Markle’s lifestyle ventures, with the character offering Queen Camilla a gift of homemade ice and saying, I made it myself. I can give you the recipe. I’m kind of a wiz in the kitchen.
Prince Harry chimed in, It’s true. She hires the best cooks.
The reunion was interrupted by the entrance of new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, played by George Fouracres, who wore his signature yellow Manchester badge. Harry, Megan, I’m here to tell you that just because you’re normal folk doesn’t mean your life has to be crap,
he joked. That is the Burnham promise.
Season Premiere Details and Real-Life Context
The Sky series second-season premiere was hosted by “Jurassic Park” star Jeff Goldblum, who opened the show with a musical number from the program’s London studio. Musical guest CMAT also performed on the episode. The second season will run for six episodes before taking a break and returning in early 2027. Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg and Stath Lets Flats creator Jamie Demetriou are scheduled to guest-present the second and third episodes.
All of SNL UK’s cast members returned for the new season, including Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young, alongside debut appearances by new cast member Freddie Meredith. SNL UK is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK production team and Broadway Video, with Lorne Michaels serving as executive producer and James Longman as lead producer.
The real-life Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously left their roles as working members of the royal family to move to Southern California in 2020. The couple signed a lucrative multi-year deal with Netflix after leaving the UK, producing shows on the streaming platform including Markle’s Emmy-nominated lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan,
and several documentaries, such as Harry & Meghan.
However, the five-year deal officially ended in September 2025 after Netflix opted against renewing the contract.
News broke that the couple would be returning to Prince Harry’s home country and enrolling their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, in an upscale prep school there. While speculation and sources suggested that cash was a significant reason for the relocation, separate sources told Page Six that the real motivation revolved around being closer to Harry’s father and securing relationships with the family for their son and daughter. A representative for Harry and Meghan did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
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