Prince Harry Shows Funny Side in New Skit for His Eco-Travel Business
Murray from Flight of the Conchords ambushes a jogging prince, who's wearing a "girl dad" T-shirt.
Meghan Markle might be the professional actor in the family, but Prince Harry isn't half-bad at playing a role himself. Especially a role that is himself. The prince appears in a new video published Monday for Travalyst, the non-profit group he leads that promotes sustainable travel.
In the ad, New Zealand "rating agents" stop a jogging Harry to review him as a traveler, critiquing his towel use and possible littering of a lollipop wrapper from years ago. Fans of Flight of the Conchords will recognize the main rating agent as Rhys Darby, aka Murray Hewitt, the band's hapless manager.
The gimmick of the ad is a bit weird -- watching it twice, I'm still not at all sure what Travalyst does or why. But royal watchers will get a kick out of the various details. Harry wears a "girl dad" T-shirt in homage to his 11-month-old daughter Lillibet Diana. He's got Apple Air Pods in his ears. He apologizes for confusing Australia with New Zealand, speaks in the Māori language, and praises the beauty of New Zealand. And he delivers a practiced withering glance when confronted with Darby's lame jokes.
Members of the British royal family are so seldom heard to say anything outside of awkward speeches that It's actually entertaining, if super-weird to see the prince playing himself in what's essentially a commercial. Harry may not be an Oscar-winning actor, but he's probably had plenty of practice just being a royal guy confronted by oddballs to whom he must be polite. What role could be more natural for him?
