Prince Harry made a low-profile visit to watch longtime friend James Corden's final taping of The Late Late Show in April, a new behind-the-scenes video reveals.
The prince, who was a guest on the show in 2021, was featured in the video charting the course of Corden's final day, which also included cameos from Harry Styles and Will Farrell.
In the video, posted to The Late Late Show's YouTube channel on Wednesday, Harry is briefly seen handing a drink to a show staffer in a production area. As he appears on screen, a caption reading "Prince Harry surprise visit" is shown, and he appears in the background of other shots included in the montage.
The prince's visit to the show was not publicly announced and he didn't appear on the final episode, which aired April 27.
Harry and Corden have been linked publicly in the years since the royal moved to California in 2020 with his wife, Meghan Markle, to raise their young children. British-born Corden and his family live close to Harry and Meghan's Montecito, California, estate, and the star was a guest at the royals' 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle.
Harry's 'Late Late Show' Interview
In 2021, Harry surprised late-night viewers by giving his first interview since stepping down from his royal duties to Corden, in a special Late Late Show segment recorded on top of a double-decker London bus in Los Angeles.
Broadcast in the days leading up to Oprah Winfrey's joint interview with Harry and Meghan, the prince spoke candidly about the motivation for his decision to leave Britain and revealed that he watched the Netflix drama The Crown.
"My life is always going to be about public service, and Meghan signed up for that," Harry told Corden. "The two of us enjoy doing that and trying to bring compassion and try to make people happy, and try to change the world in any small way we can.
"It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down," he said about his decision to leave his working royal role. "It was a really difficult environment, as I think a lot of people saw. We all know what the British press can be like."
He went on: "It was destroying my mental health. I was, like, This is toxic. So I did what any husband and father would do—I need to get my family out of here.
"But we never walked away, and as far as I'm concerned, what decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away.... I will always be contributing. My life is public service, so wherever I am in the world, it is going to be the same thing."
Corden Defends 'Brave' Prince
In 2022, Corden spoke about his friendship with Harry in an interview with U.K. tabloid The Sun.
Corden reflected on the couple's strength in deciding to step away from their lives in Britain for the benefit of their children.
"I'm a huge fan of both of them," he said. "Obviously, I know Harry better than I know Meghan, but I think it's really hard to judge or be judgmental. People process things and deal with things in different ways and that's OK, and it's all right to think whatever you think about somebody."
He continued: "I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for Harry, and anyone who has been around him and spent time with him would feel exactly the same way. I think he is a devoted and loving husband and father, and I think what they have done is incredibly brave, and I'll always be in their corner."
Corden Thanked in Harry's Memoir
Harry and Corden's friendship was publicly acknowledged in the prince's record-breaking memoir, Spare, which came out in January.
The memoir, which became the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time, included Corden among the famous names thanked in the acknowledgments section.
The prince wrote: "Thanks and hugs to Jennifer Rudolph Walsh for her always
positive energy and soulful counsel, and to Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Chris
Martin, Nacho Figueras and Delphi Blaquier, and James Corden for their
unwavering friendship and support."
At the time of publication, it was noted in the press that while famous friends received thanks from Harry in the book, no members of the royal family were included.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
