Just hours after Meghan Markle was nominated for an Emmy, Prince William quietly celebrated two Primetime Emmy nominations for The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy. The timing of the dual endorsements adds another layer to the ongoing narrative surrounding the two branches of the royal family and their respective media ventures.The Apple TV drama has reportedly been nominated for two prestigious awards, following an appearance by the Prince of Wales in front of and behind the camera in October 2025. The 44-year-old prince welcomed 79-year-old Eugene Levy to Windsor Castle for the episode, which has now been recognized in two categories: Outstanding Writing for a Non-Fiction Program and Outstanding Non-Fiction Hosting a Series or Special.
Prince William’s appearance in Eugene Levy’s “The Reluctant Traveler” helped the Apple TV+ series earn two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Image source (Instagram)
Prince William stars in The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy
The heir to the throne touched on some very personal matters while speaking to the actor at the palace. The Prince of Wales received Levy via a letter on Kensington Palace stationery, which was delivered to the actor’s hotel room in January 2025. In a letter signed by William himself, the actor was invited to visit the castle privately the next morning.In “The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy,” William’s flirtatiousness begins their meeting with Levy as he rides his motorcycle through the castle grounds. The conversation ranged from the heir’s vision for the future of the monarchy to his thoughts on his role as a father.William also mentioned the challenges of 2024 as his father the King and his wife Catherine both have cancer. “I would say 2024 is the hardest year I’ve ever had,” the prince told Levy over a pint of beer in a pub after the castle tour. The heir apparent offered a philosophical perspective on adversity, saying: “You know, life is also about testing us. Being able to overcome this is who we are.“
Prince William has opened up about 2024, calling it the hardest year of his life as Catherine, Princess of Wales, and King Charles both undergo cancer treatment. Image source (Instagram)
In a lighter moment, William quipped whether going to the bar with him was on Levy’s bucket list, to which the actor replied: “That would be the bucket list!”
Comparison with Meghan Markle’s nomination
William’s Emmy recognition for his appearance in “The Reluctant Traveler” starring Eugene Levy contrasts with the Duchess of Sussex’s single Daytime Emmy nomination for her work on the Netflix show “Meghan.” Meghan celebrated the news on social media, writing: “A huge congratulations to the incredible crew, producers and team of Love, Meghan on @netflix. We were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Series! “The Duchess’s cooking series launched in March 2025, but received poor reviews and failed to crack the platform’s top 1,000 most-watched shows, according to streaming viewership data. A second season of Love, Meghan and a Christmas special followed, filmed at a rented house near the Sussex couple’s Montecito home.Meghan’s lifestyle brand, which launched alongside the show, has since parted ways with the streaming service. A spokesman confirmed in March that the company was “now ready to stand on its own feet.”
Ongoing media investments
Although Meghan’s brand and streaming platform are separate, Meghan and Prince Harry remain connected through their production company, which has a first-look deal with the platform giving it first dibs on the company’s future projects.William has yet to publicly acknowledge the Emmy nomination for “The Reluctant Traveler,” starring Eugene Levy, maintaining the royal family’s tradition of discretion in media recognition, while Meghan has been more vocal in celebrating her nomination.