Donald Trump criticises couple’s treatment of the royal family, says he’s happy they left the US
Bo Erickson
Washington: US President Donald Trump says he’s “happy” Prince Harry and his family left the United States and relocated back to Britain.
“I am happy about it. I was not a fan,” Trump said in the Oval Office when asked about the recent decision by Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to leave California after six years.
The family arrived back in Britain at the end of August. The couple stepped down from official royal duties in 2020 when they moved to the US.
“I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect. I didn’t like it,” Trump said, mentioning his “good relationship” with the late Queen Elizabeth and her successor King Charles, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.
The president specifically criticised Meghan. “I didn’t like the way she acted. I thought she was terribly disrespectful,” he said.
It’s not the first time Trump has taken aim at the pair.
In April, Harry made a surprise visit to Ukraine and called on Trump and the US to end the war with Russia. ”This is a moment for American leadership. A moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations,” he said.
Trump dismissed the call and made a passing remark about the prince’s wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. “Prince Harry? How’s his wife? Please give her my regards,” he said. “Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure,” Trump said. “I think I’m speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry.”
In February, Trump ruled out deporting Harry from the US over his immigration status. The president insisted he had “no interest” in removing Harry from the country and said he had “enough problems” with Meghan, who he said was “terrible”.
After the couple’s move to the US, Harry in an Oprah interview accused the royal family of neglect. Meghan, whose mother is Black and father is white, said that when she was pregnant with her son there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born” within the royal family.
Prince William, Harry’s older brother, defended the family after the accusation and said “we’re not racist”.
Harry also cited press scrutiny and the government’s failure to provide security for his family as reasons for moving to California.
Now back in Britain, Harry and Meghan are expected to remain non-working royals.
A person close to the couple said last month the family planned to move somewhere outside London for an extended period with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, who will go to school in Britain.
It is unclear what changed for the couple, but Harry has said he wants his children to spend time in Britain.
“If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back,” Trump added on Wednesday.
