Prince Harry’s surprise appearance last week on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was still a major “controversy” over the weekend, as royalists huffed and puffed about how dare he, he’s so undignified, take away his titles, etc. Little did they know that the ginger would turn up at the British-American Business Council’s 65th Annual Christmas Luncheon on Friday! As in, Harry’s office didn’t announce his appearance ahead of time and no one knew that he would attend the luncheon or make a speech. He had a lovely time and he was happy to be among British people. Especially Scottish peeps.
Prince Harry took a playful jab at the “drama” involved in growing up as a royal. The Duke of Sussex, 41, was a distinguished guest and speaker at the British-American Business Council’s 65th Annual Christmas Luncheon held in Santa Monica, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 5. During his speech, Harry compared life in the royal family to a particularly iconic British TV show.
“People sometimes ask if growing up with the royal family was a bit like [show creator] Julian’s [Fellowes] Downton Abbey,’ Harry said. “Yeah, but only one of those worlds is filled with drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners [and] marriages to Americans — and the other is a TV show.”
Harry, who noted that the event was the “first Christmas party” he’d attended in “a while,” also shared more serious thoughts on the nature of living in the United States as a British citizen.
“For me, being British isn’t about where you physically stand, but what you stand for,” he said at one point in his speech.
He also shared that celebrating the Fourth of July has been a decidedly new experience for him. “It’s a new world to me, celebrating independence from Britain, and more specifically, independence from my great, great, great, great, great, great-grandfather,” he noted.
Harry also made a brief quip about the U.S.’s current immigration enforcement policies while discussing the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. is set to host alongside Canada and Mexico. He jokingly said that he looked forward to welcoming his fellow Brits from “across the pond” for the event — provided they get “through customs” and “past ICE.”
I’m including one of the videos below, it looks like it was just filmed by someone in the audience. You can hear Harry talk about the World Cup and how the British consulate in LA is run by a Scotsman. Harry seems well-acquainted with people in that room, which is fascinating. There’s buzz that he plans to launch his own business at some point. I would love that.
Part of Prince Harry’s speech at British-American Business Council lunch that took place in Santa Monica yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Cb75f7UQFO
— Katerina
(@Le__Katerina) December 6, 2025
Applause and standing ovation for Prince Harry at the British-American Business Council (BABC) Los Angeles 65th Annual Christmas Luncheon held in Santa Monica yesterday.
#PrinceHarry pic.twitter.com/SjDL4a3Tum
— ChrisBaronSmith (@ChrisBaronSmit1) December 7, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
