- "The Prince," a cartoon spoofing the
royal family , was released onHBO Max on Thursday. - The series pokes fun at 8-year-old
Prince George and his parents,Kate Middleton andPrince William . - It also takes jabs at Queen Elizabeth,
Meghan Markle ,Prince Harry , and the late Prince Philip.
When it comes to "The Prince," the new satirical HBO Max cartoon about the royal family, nothing is off-limits.
The controversial show, which was inspired by Gary Janetti's Instagram account and features voice acting by Orlando Bloom and Sophie Turner, doesn't hold back - it takes jabs at everything from Kate Middleton and Prince William's marriage to Prince Harry's relationship with his son, whose name Harry can't seem to remember.
"The Prince" follows Middleton and William's 8-year-old son, Prince George, on quests such as getting Kelly Ripa to follow him on Instagram and becoming a star on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" (which the show's Meghan Markle joins when she can't land a real acting gig).
Throughout the 12 episodes, which were released on Thursday, George tortures his sweet butler, Owen; can't stand his younger sister, Charlotte; and constantly sucks up to the Queen.
'The Prince' takes aim at every member of the royal family throughout its first season
On the show, Middleton hates her sister-in-law and is often seen guzzling a glass of wine - or five.
"Excuse me, I'm late for an appointment," Middleton says in one scene.
"I didn't think the pubs were open yet," William replies.
"I have a haircut, if you must know. That's when someone takes scissors and cuts your hair, in case you forgot," she shoots back.
Meanwhile, Markle and Harry have moved into a small apartment in Los Angeles, where they struggle to find anyone to hire them. Harry is portrayed as being so lost in the real world that he doesn't understand how to buy milk at a grocery store and is in awe of how refrigerators work.
"Did you know it's cold in there?" he asks Markle before gleefully pressing the button on the ice dispenser over and over, covering their kitchen floor in ice cubes as Markle sighs.
Camilla doesn't say a word, while Prince Charles desperately tries to win his mother's love, with no success.
The release of "The Prince" was delayed following the death of Prince Philip, who's portrayed in the show as a babbling old man who can't speak or even chew his food.
"Get the defibrillator paddles ready," George quips in the first episode.
Critics and royal correspondents alike have slammed the series
Many critics were especially angered that "The Prince" focused on a real child.
-Omid Scobie (@scobie) July 28, 2021
-Kate's Rangers (@KatesRangers) July 29, 2021
Others criticized the show for repeatedly mocking Philip's health months after his death.
"It appears that no one involved in this show figured out that a sensible use of the extra time they had been gifted would be to remove Philip from the series, in which he is far from sympathetically portrayed," the Daily Beast correspondent Tom Sykes wrote in his review.
That's likely something the series hoped to get ahead of with a "royal decree" displayed at the beginning of each episode.
"Like, this isn't really the Royal Family. It's like, a parody, or whatever," it reads. "And certain recent events will not be reflected in this programme because, again, not real. So chill. That's an order."
But, as has become increasingly clear on Twitter, many people aren't amused.
Representatives for HBO Max, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.