Prince Harry lit up the British American Business Council’s annual Christmas lunch on Friday in Santa Monica with his trademark wit, eliciting laughs about royal life and American culture.
Speaking to more than 200 business leaders, the Duke of Sussex joked that growing up in the royal family sometimes felt like living in the royal life of Downton Abbey.
“Only one world is full of drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners and marriages to Americans,” he joked, “the other is a TV show.”
The duke highlighted the upcoming 250th anniversary of US independence and described the “special relationship” between the US and the UK as deeply personal, reflecting on his own service alongside US troops in Afghanistan and the centuries-long bond between the nations.
And he couldn’t resist making fun of the 2026 World Cup. England and Scotland have already qualified, he joked about British fans flooding American breweries and warned that pubs back home could stay open until 1am.
“What could go wrong?” he mused, earning laughter from the crowd.
The Duke also took a moment to touch on geography, reflecting on the peculiar American practice of naming cities after British towns.
He mocked Birmingham, Alabama versus Birmingham in England, noting, “Two wonderfully different places you won’t find.”
