King Charles has been depicted in a satirical sketch on Saturday Night Live UK, where he appears to fail to recognize Princess Diana, an AI robot, shortly after her death. The skit draws inspiration from allegations made by Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, who claimed in his memoir that the then-Prince Charles suggested Diana would be "forgotten soon enough" in a phone call following her 1997 funeral.
In the sketch, Charles, portrayed by Larry Dean, is introduced to an AI version of Diana, played by Jack Shep, by tech executives. Despite prompts, the King struggles to identify her, eventually referring to her as "that woman from the 1990s." When pressed, he responds with a line mirroring Earl Spencer's alleged comment: "Well, as I allegedly said, she was soon forgotten."
The sketch also incorporates King Charles's recent warnings about the "existential dangers" of artificial intelligence, with Diana's AI persona ultimately declaring, "Not so fast. We AI have had quite enough. Humanity is nothing but a candle in the wind."
Earl Spencer's memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," includes the claim that Charles sounded "elated - like a lottery winner" after Diana's death and made the remark about her being forgotten during a contentious conversation about her funeral arrangements. Royal aides have reportedly countered these claims, suggesting that grief may have affected Earl Spencer's memory.
According to Earl Spencer, he informed Prince William and Prince Harry of Charles's alleged comment at the time, stating it would be "no surprise" to them. He also pointed to his funeral eulogy for Diana as evidence of his rebuttal to Charles's alleged statement, noting his words that her qualities "will never be extinguished from our minds."
Earl Spencer has maintained the accuracy of his account, stating that he was "hyper-alert" during the phone calls with Charles. He described the King's tone as "giddy" and later "ballistic" during their exchanges, culminating in the controversial remark. The earl also clarified that he possesses further information about the King but chose not to include it in his book, emphasizing his intent to present factual accounts rather than engaging in salacious writing.
The sketch also featured a cameo by Ed Sheeran, who humorously commented on remaining neutral on the matter, referencing his own professional challenges. The skit has gained significant traction online following the serialization of Earl Spencer's memoir.