President Trump said he is “happy” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left the United States.
The former president, 79, made the remarks to reporters in the Oval Office last week when asked about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure from California to resettle in England. “I’m happy about it,” he said. “I was not a fan.”
Trump, who has long expressed admiration for the British royal family, did not hold back his disdain for the couple’s past conduct. He particularly singled out Markle, 43, for what he characterized as disrespectful behavior toward the late Queen Elizabeth II and her treatment of King Charles.
“I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the way she acted. I thought she was terribly disrespectful to the Queen, to King Charles,” he said.
The president’s comments come as the couple reportedly relocates across the Atlantic, six years after their dramatic exit from royal duties and subsequent move to Montecito, California.
Trump’s personal history with the monarchy runs deep. Queen Elizabeth hosted him for a state visit during his first term, and King Charles extended the same rare honor during his second — making Trump the only American president to receive two such invitations. The president reciprocated by hosting King Charles and Queen Camilla for a state visit in April.
“I wouldn’t have taken them back,” Trump added, speaking hypothetically about the royal family’s decision to welcome the couple. “If I were the royal family, I would. I would not have taken him back.”
The remarks mark the latest chapter in Trump’s complicated relationship with the Sussexes, which has played out publicly over years. His blunt assessment of their return to the U.K. Aligns with his broader pattern of commenting on royal affairs, often breaking with diplomatic tradition that typically discourages foreign leaders from intervening in domestic matters of allied nations.
The couple’s initial departure from Britain in 2020 sent shockwaves through the Commonwealth and dominated global headlines, with their subsequent Oprah Winfrey interview and various media projects keeping them in the public eye on both sides of the Atlantic.