Prince Harry popped up on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday night, stepping into Colbert’s monologue to audition for the lead of a Hallmark-style holiday movie — improbable sincerity, snow and all. The fake film he was “auditioning” for? “The Gingerbread Christmas Prince Saves Christmas in Nebraska,” because according to him, “Americans are clearly obsessed with Christmas movies and … with royalty.” The cheers from the audience supported his claim.

Harry played it straight, even to the point of “auditioning” for a Christmas movie in an intentionally bad skit. He also took some jabs at the current political climate under the Trump administration, like the media’s political payouts and Colbert’s own cancellation. The entire bit had the loose, slightly unhinged charm that Colbert’s best holiday sketches depend on.

But the moment that went viral online in certain media outlets came when Harry, early in the bit, in response to a typical Colbert set-up about for a political joke, added “Really? I heard you elected a king.” The reference to Donald Trump immediately drew a loud wave of boos (or possibly sassy “oohs”) from the studio audience.

Some conservative outlets quickly framed the reaction as the audience rejecting Harry’s joke. But that misreads how “The Late Show” crowd operates. The boos weren’t directed at Harry — they were aimed squarely at Trump. Colbert’s audience reliably reacts this way whenever Trump’s name or a Trump reference comes up. It’s a built-in reflex at this point, and the sketch played directly into it. Harry wasn’t being rebuked; he was triggering the reaction the bit needed.

The moment fit the tone of the appearance: lightly political, self-aware and clearly designed to let Harry poke fun at both American holiday-movie culture and his own public image. He even slipped in an additional jab about “settling a baseless lawsuit with the White House,” keeping the commentary wrapped safely in comedy.

Despite attempts to cast the exchange as awkward or ill-judged, in the room the sketch landed exactly as intended — part holiday parody, part political wink, and surprisingly relaxed. Harry seemed at ease, even enjoying himself, as he played along with Colbert’s chaos

A gingerbread prince with decent comedic timing? An unexpected holiday bonus.