US President Donald Trump said he was pleased that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have returned to Britain, adding that he was not a fan of the couple when they were in the United States. Asked about their departure a week earlier from the US during a September 2 briefing with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said: “I’m happy about it.” He later said he did not support Harry and Meghan’s actions and characterised them as having been disrespectful towards the royal family. Trump’s comments came after the couple left the United States following a six-year stay in Montecito, California. Megxit And Departure From Royal DutiesHarry and Meghan moved to the US from the United Kingdom in early 2020 as tensions with members of the royal family increased. Their exit from royal duties was widely described as “Megxit” after they announced on Instagram that they would “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent”. On the day of their 2018 wedding, Queen Elizabeth II granted them the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex. During their years stateside, the couple said they faced what they described as institutional neglect and a lack of support within the royal establishment. They also spoke about internal conflicts within the family, including in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and in Harry’s memoir, Spare. Trump Criticises What He Calls DisrespectTrump said he disliked how he believed the couple treated the institution. “I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect,” he said. He added: “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.” Harry and Meghan’s public comments about their time in royal life and the decision to step back drew global attention and intensified questions about their relationship with other senior royals. Children Meet The Queen, Then School In BritainHarry and Meghan’s children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, met Queen Elizabeth during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. The Queen died a few months later, in September. British media reported that the children have since enrolled in schools in the UK. Trump also referred to meetings involving the royal couple and King Charles. He said that when Charles and Queen Camilla visited the United States for a four-day state visit hosted by Trump in April, Harry and Meghan did not meet with them. When the Sussexes travelled to Britain in July, however, they met King Charles and Camilla. “Maybe I’m different,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t have taken him back. If I were the royal family, I would not have taken him back.” Join the discussion? 3 September 2026
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