John Stewart’s return to The Daily Show on February 18, 2025, was nothing short of electrifying. The comedian delivered a scathing critique of Prince Harry, dismissing him as the "Duke of Nothing" in a segment that left audiences in shock and social media ablaze.
Stewart held nothing back, taking aim not only at Harry’s dwindling royal relevance but also at the crumbling illusion of his post-royal life. However, the true focus of Stewart’s sharp wit was Meghan Markle, whose influence over Harry has long been a point of contention. Rather than portraying her as a victim, Stewart painted Meghan as a calculated figure whose ambitions have dragged Harry into a vortex of irrelevance, and the evidence seemed to support his argument.
Stewart’s critique was particularly cutting when he addressed Meghan’s latest business venture, a lifestyle brand called "American Riviera Orchard." Launched with much fanfare, the brand promised to bring back the elegance of Meghan’s pre-royal blogging days, offering high-end artisanal products, including a $200 jar of jam and handwoven dog beds. However, critics, including Stewart, saw it as little more than a shameless cash grab. On the February 23 episode, Stewart quipped that American Riviera Orchard "sounds less like a brand and more like something you mutter under your breath when your husband won’t stop whining about his family." The numbers painted a bleak picture—Meghan’s ventures, from an underwhelming Netflix deal to the murky financial transparency of the Archewell Foundation, suggested a pattern of overhyped promises and underwhelming results.
Stewart did not shy away from pointing out that Meghan’s influence has been a key factor in Harry’s decline. Once celebrated as a decorated soldier and the monarchy’s charming rebel, Harry now appears aimless, clinging to a narrative of victimhood that Stewart gleefully dismantled. The couple’s 2020 departure from royal duties was initially framed as a pursuit of freedom, yet five years later, their output—memoirs, tell-all interviews, and a short-lived Spotify podcast—reeked of desperation. Stewart mocked Harry’s diminishing status, remarking that he’s "not a prince, not a soldier, just a guy Meghan dragged to Montecito to sell jam." Official records indicated that donations to Archewell had plummeted in 2024, further underscoring the dwindling public interest in the couple’s carefully curated image.
Meghan’s insistence on controlling their public narrative, from staged paparazzi moments to meticulously managed social media posts, has left Harry looking like a supporting character in her one-woman show. High staff turnover within their organization hinted at internal chaos, and public patience was wearing thin. Stewart’s roast tapped into this simmering frustration, reflecting a broader disillusionment with the couple. Meghan’s attempts to juggle Hollywood glamour with royal gravitas had backfired spectacularly. Early 2025 polls placed her approval rating in the UK at a dismal 19%, with Harry’s only slightly higher at 23%.
Stewart’s brilliance lay in articulating what many were already thinking—Meghan’s ambition was less about empowerment and more about exploitation. As he put it, "Harry’s not the prince anymore; he’s Meghan’s plus one." With The Daily Show shining a merciless spotlight on the Sussexes, it was clear that their carefully crafted renegade royal act was unraveling. Meghan’s role as the antagonist in this saga was no longer speculation but an undeniable reality. Stewart’s takedown wasn’t just comedy; it was a reflection of a growing public sentiment—the fairy tale had turned into a cautionary tale, and the world was watching it fall apart.
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