King Charles and Prince Harry finally came face to face earlier this year but despite warm smiles and exchanged gifts, insiders say the reunion felt less like a family catch up and more like a carefully choreographed diplomatic call.

The 55 minute meeting at Clarence House marked the first time father and son had spoken in person for 19 months, yet sources insist it unfolded on the King’s tightly controlled timetable. 

Harry reportedly slipped into London between the monarch’s scheduled audiences during what palace insiders privately dubbed a “faux royal” visit hardly the relaxed homecoming some had imagined.

According to OK! Magazine, Harry left feeling less like a prodigal son and more like a formal visitor. 

One insider close to the duke said he later joked that the meeting was so official he might as well have arrived with a diplomatic badge.

Harry had apparently hoped for something warmer and more personal after such a long gap.  

The duke brought a framed photograph of himself with Meghan Markle and their children, Archie and Lilibet.

The King’s grandchildren he has not seen since the Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Charles, for his part, offered a birthday gift, with Harry’s 41st just days away.

Crucially, insiders stress that the conversation steered well clear of Harry’s future role, if any, within the royal setup. 

A senior figure with knowledge of the talks was blunt: there was no discussion of duties, responsibilities or hybrid arrangements. 

King Charles remains firmly aligned with the Sandringham Agreement reached in January 2020, when Queen Elizabeth ruled out Harry’s request for a part-time royal role while living overseas. That decision, insiders insist, is not being revisited.

Colin Jost got set up by Michael Che on SNL once again, a year after the pair sparked uproar for comparing Scarlett Johansson to a roast beef sandwich.

The moment came during Saturday Night Live’s annual Christmas episode on December 20 with a special segment called “Weekend Update” joke swap.

“Tonight is our Christmas show, and we have a tradition where me and Colin give each other jokes to read that neither of us have ever seen,” Che explained the segment for viewers.

Jost, however, protested, saying he didn’t think they were doing the joke this year. “And you know that I did not write any jokes for you,” he said, prompting Che to reply, “Well, I guess you’ll just have to read mine.”

After delivering several jokes, Jost landed on the one aimed squarely at his wife of five years. “New research shows that millions of women leave the work force due to menopause. Which means there’s only a couple years left on my gravy train,” he read, laughing as a photo of Johansson appeared onscreen.

“My girl already be like, ‘Colin, I’m warm. Colin, I’m sweating.’ B****, you having a hot flash,” Jost continued. He then followed it up with another punchline: “But don’t worry about me, I got a backup. They don’t call Wednesday hump day for nothing.”

The moment echoed last year’s viral joke swap, when Jost delivered another Che-written jab that left Johansson visibly stunned backstage.

Reflecting on that moment earlier this year, Johansson admitted, “It was so vulgar. I just can’t believe that they went there.”