At a time when tensions in the Middle East are once again rising, and Israelis are hanging on every statement from US President Donald Trump as they try to work out whether another escalation with Iran is coming, Trump has still found time for another pressing subject: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from the United States.
Trump said Wednesday that he was “happy” Harry and Meghan had left California and returned to Britain, adding that, had he been in the royal family’s position, he would not have welcomed them back. “I’m happy about it,” Trump told reporters during a question-and-answer session following a White House press conference. “I was not a fan.”
Trump then turned to his own relationship with Britain’s royal family. “I had a very good relationship with the queen, really good. I got to know her very well,” he said. “A really good relationship with King Charles. I knew him as Prince Charles and King Charles. I’ve known him for a long time.”
Trump described Charles as a “great, great guy” and said he believed Harry and Meghan “treated the royal family with great disrespect.”
“I didn’t like it,” he said. “If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back.”
Trump has never tried to hide the fact that he is no admirer of the couple, and Meghan in particular has repeatedly drawn his criticism.
In 2020, nine months after the couple’s highly publicized split from royal duties, Trump wished Harry “a lot of luck” after Harry and Meghan urged Americans to vote in that year’s presidential election. “I’m not a fan of hers,” Trump said at the time. “I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he’s going to need it.”
Trump has also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Harry’s US immigration status. After previously suggesting the prince could face consequences if he had not been truthful on his visa application, Trump later said: “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
His latest remarks again focused on what he sees as the couple’s treatment of the monarchy, while emphasizing his affection for Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles.
Trump said Harry and Meghan had treated the royal family “with great disrespect,” making clear that their conduct toward the monarchy was at the heart of his criticism. “I didn’t like it,” he said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
(Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan returned to Britain last week, six years after leaving the UK for North America. They had lived in California since 2020 and have not publicly detailed their long-term plans, amid speculation over how long they intend to remain in Britain and where they will live.
The couple stepped away from official royal duties in 2020 and are expected to remain private individuals. They are also not expected to be offered the hybrid “half-in, half-out” arrangement they sought at the time, which Queen Elizabeth rejected.
Their return has also revived questions over security arrangements and whether British taxpayers could ultimately bear any of the cost.