This isn't the first time an American satirical series has used the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as a target for their biting humor, but this time the echo has been especially intense on social media. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have once again dominated international headlines after the latest episode of Family Guy included a sequence dedicated exclusively to their marriage.
The controversy arose in the midst of a week filled with rumors about a possible reconciliation between Harry and his father, King Charles III, just as the couple are trying to strengthen their image in the United States after years of explosive headlines.
The new animated attack from “Family Guy” on the Sussexes
The Griffin family aren't strangers to scandals involving the British royal family, but the episode aired on Thursday, July 17, marked a new milestone in international satire against Harry and Meghan. In this episode titled The World of Twain, the writers use a time travel plot to slip in a biting nod to the most high-profile marriage of the last decade. The sequence begins with Stewie warning about the dangers of altering the past, to which Brian, television's most sarcastic dog, replies: “You always say that, but isn't history crap?”
The dialogue escalates when Stewie compares Harry and Meghan's wedding to some of the darkest moments in history, openly mentioning figures like Hitler and the Crusades. The twist comes when Harry himself, turned into a cartoon, appears watching the scene on television and protests with resignation:
“Again?” In response, the series suggests that not even the Windsors are exempt from controversial marriages, with the line: “Oh, like all your wives were so much better?”
The joke has ignited conversation on social media, where there has been no shortage of memes and reactions both defending the couple and in an ironic tone. Fans of the series have recalled that back in 2023 Family Guy joked about the multimillion-euro contract the Sussexes signed with Netflix, alluding to their search for financial independence and their docuseries, and more recently, to Meghan's foray into the culinary world with a new show.
Reactions to the parody
Far from going unnoticed, the episode has sparked debate in the English-speaking press and has been widely shared on accounts specializing in television and celebrities. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven't issued an official statement, staying true to the media silence strategy they usually employ in response to television jokes, although several people close to the royal circle have leaked to British journalists that Harry is starting to get “tired” of being portrayed as an object of ridicule in American pop culture.
Meanwhile, some British and American media outlets have collected reactions from viewers, many of whom see this type of gag as a reflection of the public wear and tear on the couple's image, especially after Meghan's latest moves to relaunch her profile on social media and personal business ventures.
The Family Guy gag comes at a delicate moment, just as reports about possible private meetings between Harry and Charles III are proliferating, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the so-called Megxit.
It should be remembered that satirical references to members of the British royal family are almost a tradition on American television. The Simpsons, South Park, and Saturday Night Live have portrayed Harry and Meghan in a humorous light on numerous occasions.
However, what sets the current case apart is the context of a certain media fatigue, with the couple trying to reinvent their role outside the Royal House while accepting that, in the United States, biting humor is part of their new public life.
Can the gag change their relationship with the royal family?
The episode highlights how public exposure can take its toll even on those, like Harry and Meghan, who've tried to write their own narrative. The impact of these animated parodies goes beyond a simple joke: it fuels the debate about the couple's image and their relationship with the British monarchy in a year full of anniversaries and rumors about family reconciliation.
For now, the response has been silence, but some are already asking the following questions: Will this new episode of Family Guy mark a turning point in Harry's relationship with the American media? Or will it simply be another chapter in the long list of satires that have accompanied the royal family in recent decades?