President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning to the United Kingdom, saying he was “happy” to see them go and reiterating his long-standing criticism of the couple.
“I’m happy about it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding, “I was not a fan.”
The president accused the couple of showing “great disrespect” toward the royal family and specifically called out Meghan’s conduct toward Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
“I didn’t like the way she acted,” Trump said. “I thought she was terribly disrespectful to the Queen, to King Charles.”
He went further, saying, “If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back.”
Trump’s comments come as Harry and Meghan, along with their two children—Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5—have moved back across the Atlantic, settling in the U.K. after spending several years in California. The couple, who stepped back from senior royal roles in 2020 and later settled in Montecito during the pandemic, plan to keep homes in both Montecito and Portugal, but their children will attend school in Britain.
The move marks a significant shift for the couple, who have been estranged from the royal family for years. Their departure from the U.S. follows a period of intense public friction with the monarchy, which has been exacerbated by their own disclosures in interviews and memoirs.
A History of Tension
Trump’s disdain for Meghan is not new. During the 2020 presidential campaign, when it was suspected that she supported his opponent Joe Biden, Trump said, “I’m not a fan of hers, and I would say this, and she probably has heard that, but I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he’s going to need it.”
The couple’s relationship with the royal family has been fraught since their 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they alleged that an unnamed royal had raised concerns about the skin color of their unborn child, Archie. Their subsequent Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir, Spare, which was sharply critical of royal life, further widened the rift. Harry has also remained estranged from his brother, Prince William, according to multiple reports.
Despite the ongoing disputes, there have been signs of tentative rapprochement. In July, King Charles III met privately with Harry, Meghan, and their children at Highgrove House, marking the first family gathering since the rift became public. The king and Queen Camilla spent time with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet at the country estate.
Harry has also made several solo trips to the U.K. in recent years, including attending his father’s coronation in 2023.
Harry’s Hopes for Reconciliation
In 2025, after losing an appeal over government-funded security in Britain, Harry told the BBC that he hoped to reconcile with his family.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious,” he said, adding that the security issue has “always been the sticking point.” He also referenced his father’s cancer battle, expressing uncertainty about how much time the king has left.
The couple’s return to the U.K. raises questions about their future interactions with the royal family and whether Trump’s comments will add further strain to an already delicate situation. While Trump has no direct role in the monarchy’s internal affairs, his remarks underscore the couple’s polarizing presence on both sides of the Atlantic.
As Harry and Meghan begin this new chapter in Britain, the world will be watching to see whether they can bridge the divide with the royals—or whether the wounds of the past prove too deep to heal.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-bids-harry-and-meghan-good-riddance