Despite her successful stint on the legal drama Suits, Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, could never have predicted the intense scrutiny that would follow her marriage to Prince Harry. The media spotlight, public criticism, and even jabs from her own family have been relentless. The pressure has only been exacerbated by her status as a biracial American in the British royal family. These incidents have made her a frequent subject of satire and punchlines on several TV shows. Here are five of the most harsh and disrespectful instances when Markle was name-dropped on television.

1. SNL’s Coronation Critique

In May 2018, 

Saturday Night Live took a jab at Markle during a ‘Weekend Update’ segment. The skit revolved around the coronation of King Charles III and whether Markle would be invited. Host Michael Che quipped, “It was reported that the organizers of King Charles’ coronation have officially invited Meghan Markle. And this is nice: at a starting salary of $19 an hour,” as a photoshopped image of Markle dressed as a maid appeared behind him. One user wrote, “LOL!! Meghan is the one who said that she wanted to be paid for her appearances for the Crown. They’re giving her more than minimum wage. She should be happy.” In agreement, another chimed in, “Yes! It’s about her behavior & actions. The clapping seals always inject melanin into the discussion. The Pavlov’s Dogs chorus line.” In December 2023, SNL took another swipe at Markle. Colin Jost quipped, “A Christmas photo released by the royal family features a bad Photoshop job where Prince Louis’ finger appears to be missing, and this is sweet; Meghan Markle said she has a finger they can use if they need it.”

2. Chris Rock’s Racism Roast

Comedian Chris Rock is popular for his fearless humor, and Markle became a target during his live Netflix show Selective Outrage in March 2023. Rock mocked Markle’s claims of experiencing racism within the royal family, saying, “Oh, they’re so racist, they’re so racist. Some of that s**t she went through was not racism. It was just some in-law s**t. That’s not racist. Because even black people want to know how brown the baby’s going to be. It’s the royal family! They’re the original racists! They invented colonialism. That’s like marrying into the Budweiser family and going. They drink a lot.'”

3. South Park’s Privacy Tour Parody

Markle and Prince Harry have often echoed their disdain for media intrusion, which made their public sharing of personal details all the more ironic to some. As per The Hill, Harry, during an interview, revealed, “It was a really difficult environment, I think a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health. Like … this is toxic…So, I did what any husband and what any father would do is … I need to get out of here…We never walked away, and as far as I’m concerned whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away. I will always be contributing…But my life is public service, so wherever I am in the world, it’s going to be the same thing.” This contradiction was brutally highlighted in a South Park episode that aired in February 2021. The episode featured animated versions of Meghan and Harry arriving off a private jet, holding signs that read “Stop looking at us” and “We want our privacy.” 

4. Family Guy’s Social Media Satire

As per Nicki Swift, in Season 22 of Family Guy, Markle and Harry were criticized for their lucrative Netflix deal, rumored to be worth $100 million. The show questioned whether Netflix was getting its money’s worth from the deal. In an October 2023 episode, Markle and Harry were depicted lounging by a pool. A butler exclaimed, “Sir, your millions from Netflix for no one knows what,” to which Harry replied, “Put it with the rest of them.” Meanwhile, Markle gushed, “Babe, time to do our daily $250,000 sponsored Instagram post for Del Taco.”

5. Trevor Noah’s Megxit Takedown

When Trevor Noah tackled the topic of ‘Megxit’ on The Daily Show in January 2020, his comments were specifically biting. He began by comparing and remarked, “The British royal family, they’re like the Kardashians with an occasional beheading.” Noah’s scorching narrative painted a grim picture of the racism Markle faced. During an interview, Oprah Winfrey exclaimed,  “[Prince Harry] did not share the identity with me but he wanted to make sure that I knew and, if I had an opportunity to share it, that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were a part of those conversations.”

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