Prince Harry lit up the British American Business Council’s annual Christmas lunch on Friday in Santa Monica with his trademark wit, serving up laughs at royal life and American culture.
Speaking to over 200 business leaders, the Duke of Sussex joked that growing up in the royal family sometimes felt like living in a real-life Downton Abbey.
“Only one world is full of drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners and marriages with Americans,” he said, “the other is a TV show.”
Highlighting the upcoming 250th anniversary of US independence, the Duke described the “special relationship” between the US and Britain as deeply personal, reflecting on his own service with US troops in Afghanistan and the centuries-long bond between the nations.
And he couldn’t help but poke fun at the 2026 World Cup. England and Scotland already qualified, he joked about British fans flooding American breweries and warned that pubs back home could stay open until 8am.
“What could go wrong?” he thought, drawing laughs from the crowd.
The Duke also took a moment to touch on geography, reflecting on the quirky American practice of naming cities after British cities.
He teased Birmingham, Alabama versus Birmingham, England, noting, “Two wonderfully different places you won’t find.”
