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SNL UK cold open stages royal reunion at Sandringham, with Andrew behind it

The cold open of SNL UK's fourth Season 2 episode, hosted by Danny Dyer, satirised the rift between Princes William and Harry in a Sandringham reunion sketch engineered by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

3 outlets · 1L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Deadline
Image: Variety
Image: Evening Standard

1 / 3

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2The cold open of SNL UK's Season 2 fourth episode, broadcast on Saturday 10 October, satirised the royal family's feuds with a sketch set at Sandringham. Mixed · 2It pitted Prince William (Freddie Meredith) and Kate (Annabel Marlow) against Prince Harry (Jack Shep) and Meghan (Ayoade Bamgboye), who had each been lured to the estate by a mysterious red envelope invitation. Mixed · 2Jokes included Meghan recalling that Harry's grandfather asked if she was related to Beyoncé, William calling Harry "Prince Ginger Pubes", and Kate pointing out "the woman from Suits", to which Harry replied that Meghan "doesn't do anything anymore".

Mixed · 2King Charles (Larry Dean) and Queen Camilla (Emma Sidi) then entered, and it emerged the invitations had come from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (George Fouracres), who had tricked the family into reuniting. Left · 1Variety adds that Andrew's character claimed the search warrants were unlawful and so he was innocent, and notes that his title was stripped over his links with Jeffrey Epstein. Mixed · 2When Andrew insisted "That's Prince Andrew to you", the sketch's Charles rebuked him as arrogant and entitled, representing an outdated institution of war, tax evasion and slavery, and said he drew the line at the accusations against him.

Mixed · 2Per Variety, the sketch ended with the family agreeing to one drink together, with Charles adding that Andrew would still get a million pounds for the rest of his life; Deadline instead has Andrew grovelling that he never believed his actions would have consequences. Centre · 1SNL UK is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio's UK team and Broadway Video, with Lorne Michaels as executive producer and James Longman as lead producer.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Variety gives a fuller, scene-by-scene recap, with the Andrew storyline and the Epstein context.
Emphasis
Andrew's mock claim of innocence and the Epstein link; the family's truce over a drink.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the production credits.
Charged language
“skewered”
For example
““SNL U.K.” once again skewered the royal family in this week’s cold open” — Variety

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Deadline presents a shorter recap of the 'warring Windsors' face-off, led by the William and Harry insults.
Emphasis
Cast list, the barbs between the couples and production credits.
Leaves out or plays down
Leaves out the Epstein context and the sketch's ending.
Charged language
“warring Windsors”“dastardly”
For example
“The warring Windsors took center stage in the SNL UK cold open.” — Deadline

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.