The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have broken their silence amid reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are suing the creators of South Park over a recent episode that took aim at the royal couple.
On 21 February, a spokesperson for the Sussex’s addressed claims that the pair are pursuing legal action over the episode. “It’s all frankly nonsense. Totally baseless, boring reports,” the spokesperson told People.
The South Park episode that aired last week, titled “The World-Wide Privacy Tour,” centred on a prince character and his wife who decided to move to the fictional South Park, Colorado town. The “prince of Canada” is seen promoting his book, titled Waaaagh, as they embarked on a “we want privacy” tour.
One of the show’s main characters, Stan Marsh, referred to the Harry and Meghan-like cartoons as the “dumb prince and his stupid wife,” while another character named Kyle complained about the private jet parked outside their home.
The episode also saw the cartoon couple holding “we want our privacy” signs as they travelled to different locations around the world – echoing a similar sentiment from critics after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
While their names are not specifically mentioned in the episode, the characters drew many similarities to the duke and duchess. The prince’s ginger hair matched closely to Prince Harry’s, while the wife wore an outfit that is noticeably similar to one Markle wore at Trooping the Colour in 2018.
The red-headed prince’s book also appeared to be a reference to Harry’s memoir, Spare, which was released in January.
Following the South Park episode, royal commentators suggested it may result in legal ramifications for writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Royal commentator Neil told Fox News that the Sussex’s legal team “are casting an eye over the episode,” but the makers of South Park have yet to receive any official filing.
As for how the royal couple reacted to the “brutal” takedown, a source told The Spectator that the Duchess of Sussex was left “upset and overwhelmed” by the episode.
Prince Harry has already found himself wrapped up in a costly legal battle over his police protection in the UK, which has reportedly cost the government a total of £296,882, according to The Sun.
In July 2022, Prince Harry challenged a February 2020 ruling from the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), which said the Duke of Sussex and his family would no longer be given the “same degree” of personal protective security when visiting the UK.
The ruling came after Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back from their duties in the Royal Family and relocated their family to the United States.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle is being sued by her estranged half-sister, Samantha Markle, over claims of defamation.
