Washington (United States) (AFP) – Donald Trump said Wednesday he was "happy" that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan had left the United States for the United Kingdom, saying he "would not have taken them back" if he were a member of the royal family.

Published on: 03/09/2026 - 11:43

The American president particularly accused Meghan of having been "very disrespectful" towards the late Queen Elizabeth, in his first official reaction on the subject.

The youngest son of King Charles III and his wife left the United Kingdom in 2020, at odds with the royal family, increasing public criticism against him. They lived in California with their children, seven-year-old Archie and five-year-old Lilibet.

"I'm happy with it. I wasn't a fan of it," reacted Donald Trump in the Oval Office, when asked about the couple's return to the United Kingdom for an indefinite period.

According to British media, the family could settle in the Cotswolds, a region popular with celebrities, northwest of London.

“I think they were very disrespectful to the royal family. I didn’t like it,” added the American president.

"I had a very good relationship with the Queen. Really very good. I got to know her very well. I also have a very good relationship with King Charles," he said.

Harry appeared to have reconnected with his father, King Charles III, who is battling cancer, during his recent visits to the United Kingdom. On the other hand, he would remain estranged with Prince William, his brother and heir to the British crown, and his wife Kate.

Donald Trump assured that he would not have been so magnanimous: “If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back,” declared the American president.

The former television man has already dealt with Meghan on several occasions.

On the eve of a state visit in 2019, during his first term, he denied calling Meghan "nasty", although the comment was clearly audible in the recording of a tabloid interview.

In 2020, he said he was "not a fan" of the actress, wishing Harry "a lot of luck, because he's going to need it."

Meghan Markle, an American national, criticized Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, calling him “misogynistic” and “polarizing”.

Royal feud

This return to the country marks the end of a long exile for the princely couple who married in 2018, before renouncing their role within the royal family and then moving to America.

The rift deepened when Harry published his autobiography 'Spare' and when the couple gave an interview to US talk show star Oprah Winfrey.

During the interview, the couple insinuated that a member of the royal family was racist, and reportedly questioned the color of their son's skin before he was born, as Meghan was mixed race.

The latter also confided that she had thought about suicide after joining the royal family.

The announcement of the couple's return came as a surprise in the United Kingdom.

According to the daily The Telegraph, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are returning for an “extended stay”. They will lead an “international” family life, reports the newspaper, stressing that they have kept their homes in California and Portugal.

We do not know the reasons for their departure from California. Meghan was reportedly in talks to star in the Netflix series "The Gentlemen", filmed in England, but media reports claimed the negotiations were unsuccessful.

Their return promises to be difficult, because the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are among the most unpopular members of the royal family, after the many criticisms they have made against it, in particular against William, Harry's brother and heir to the throne.

© 2026 AFP

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