Prince Harry jokes that life with the royal family was ‘like Downton Abbey’ – but that the show had less drama

Prince Harry has joked that life with the royal family was “like Downton Abbey” – but with more “drama” than the hit show.

Speaking at the British American Business Council’s (BABC) LA lunch on Friday, the Duke of Sussex reportedly made a series of quips about the “drama and intrigue” of his upbringing, as well as wearing kilts and the differences between the UK and the US.

He touched on the “new world” of American life and 4 July festivities, joking that celebrating US independence was “more specifically, independence from my great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather,” reports People magazine.

“People sometimes ask if growing up with the royal family was a bit like Julian’s Downton Abbey,” he said.

“Yeah, but only one of those worlds is filled with drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners, marriages to Americans – and the other is a TV show.”

The jokes came as the event paid tribute to Downton Abbey creator Lord Julian Fellowes, who is also known for dramas Gosford Park and From Time to Time.

Prince Harry also reportedly jested about US president Donald Trump’s immigration policies and the upcoming World Cup during his speech, saying that his fellow Brits would have to “behave, get through customs and past ICE” to see England play in the tournament.

It comes after the Duke of Sussex made an unexpected appearance on Stephen Colbert’s US talk show on Wednesday as a version of himself auditioning to play a “Christmas prince” in a Hallmark movie.

During the segment he jibed at the US’s “obsession” with royalty, and quipped that the country had “elected a king”, in reference to the president, which prompted a chorus of pantomime boos from the audience.

The joke appeared to be a reference to the non-violent “No Kings” movement, protesting Trump’s “authoritarian” policies.

Harry and wife Meghan have lived in America since exiting the royal family in 2020.

The couple, who met in 2016 and married in 2018, kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, but are no longer addressed as His or Her Royal Highness (HRH).

In May, Harry said he “misses the UK” but that since losing his legal case with the Home Office over his level of security, he was not planning on returning with his family. He added that his father King Charles refused to speak to him because of his legal battles over his security entitlement while visiting the UK.

“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” he told the BBC.

“And the things they’re going to miss, well, everything … I miss the UK.”

However, Harry and King Charles then met at Clarence House in September for the first time in over a year for a private tea that lasted around 50 minutes.