A new episode of South Park that mocks Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appears to be just as divisive as the former royals themselves.
While Harry and Meghan are not mentioned by name in the episode – titled “The Worldwide Privacy Tour” – the cartoon makes it abundantly clear who it is referencing.
The show, which dropped this week, is the second in South Park’s 26th season.
It begins with the funeral of the “Queen of Canada”, who bears a strong resemblance to the Duke of Sussex’s late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Viewers are treated to the first appearance of the flame-haired prince and his dark-tressed wife. Dubbed the “prince and princess of Canada”, they are booed by the rest of the royal family because they have been “bashing the Canadian monarchy”.
The prince and his wife are next seen on a TV talk show, where they walk out chanting “we want privacy”. Both hold signs, with hers saying “stop looking at us”, and they are booed by the audience.
The host then pulls out a book the prince wrote. Titled WAAGH, its cartoon cover looks extremely similar to Prince Harry’s best-selling memoir, Spare.
After being prompted by his wife, the prince says he hates journalists. The cartoon host points out that he is essentially a journalist, given he has written a book about the royal family.
“We just want to be normal people, being a celebrity is so hard,” the wife says.
The prince and his wife then storm off the set, declaring they are going to start a normal life elsewhere. The couple then embark on their worldwide “privacy tour”, still holding the signs and chanting.
Royal couple heads to South Park
Of course, the couple decides to move to South Park, for privacy.
They settle in across the road from main character Kyle and draw attention to themselves by setting off fireworks late at night outside their home, where signs demand privacy.
At school, Kyle whines about his new royal neighbours. His friends tell him they don’t care.
“I’m sick of hearing about them. But I can’t get away from them, they’re everywhere. In my f–king face,” he says, which seems like some kind of nod to those who dislike the Sussexes, yet keep talking about them.
There are several other references to the couple throughout the episode, all while Kyle attempts to rebrand himself. The royals even try to rebrand their image through the same company as Kyle.
After an inspirational speech from Kyle, cartoon Harry realises that by turning him and his wife into a brand, they’re just turning themselves into products.
He also realises that by quitting plans for magazine spreads and Netflix shows, the couple really can escape it all and lead a normal life.
One final jab at the wife insinuates she is empty on the inside. She decides to stay behind and work on her brand, while her prince departs.
Opinions split over South Park episode
Viewers were divided about the episode, with some taking it as evidence the US is “turning on” Harry and Meghan.
Piers Morgan, a repeat critic of Prince Harry and Meghan, called the show “lethally brilliant”.
“The South Park rinsing of Meghan & Harry is lethally brilliant… suspect this is how most Americans now feel about them,” he said.
But one person pointed out South Park “mocks” only people who are relevant, so the Sussexes’ appearance pointed to how they were “symbols of pop culture”, rather than an indication that people hate them.
Others suggested those who were elated by the South Park episode had missed the point.
“This episode is highlighting madness of the anti-Meghan and Harry crowd,” one person said.
“If you think it’s an attack on them, you’ve missed the entire point.”
Others also noted that Harry and Meghan are the only royals to have been lampooned by the cartoon. The “prince and princess of Canada” also featured in an episode that mocked Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2011 royal wedding and it was particularly crude.
