Donald Trump has delivered a blistering verdict on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave the United States, declaring he is “happy” the couple have returned to Britain.
The US president made the comments while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s surprise relocation to the UK with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.
Asked about the family’s departure from California, Trump didn’t hold back. “I’m happy about it,” he said. “I was not a fan.”
The president then singled out Meghan as he criticized what he described as the Sussexes’ treatment of the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles.
“I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect. I didn’t like it,” he said. “I didn’t like the way she acted. I thought she was terribly disrespectful to the Queen, to King Charles.”
Learn more about Harry and Meghan’s UK return below…
Donald Trump says he ‘wouldn’t have taken them back’
Trump went even further when asked about Harry and Meghan’s return to the country they left following their decision to step back as senior working royals in 2020.
“I wouldn’t have taken them back,” he said. “If I were the royal family… I would not have taken them back.” Despite the president’s remarks, Harry and Meghan’s move should not be confused with an official return to the royal fold.
The couple are not expected to resume duties as working members of the royal family and their return is understood to be focused on establishing a new home and life for their children in Britain.
© Getty ImagesHarry, 41, and Meghan, 45, arrived in England with Archie and Lilibet last week after six years of living in North America, most recently at their Montecito home in California.
The family are reportedly staying temporarily in the Cotswolds while searching for a permanent country residence, with Archie and Lilibet expected to attend school in the UK.
Trump’s long-running criticism of Meghan Markle
The president’s latest comments are far from the first time he has spoken publicly about the Duchess of Sussex.
Trump and Meghan have exchanged criticism stretching back years. Before joining the royal family, Meghan described Trump as “divisive” and “misogynistic” during a 2016 television appearance, while the president has subsequently made his dislike of the former Suits actress clear.
© Getty ImagesIn February 2025, amid questions over Prince Harry’s US immigration status, Trump ruled out taking action to deport the Duke, telling the New York Post: “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
Trump later adopted a warmer tone towards Harry following an encounter at the Invictus Games in Canada, describing him as “great” and adding: “I think Harry is being led around by the nose.”
Donald Trump’s relationship with the royal family
Trump has never hidden his admiration for Britain’s monarchy and has enjoyed an unusually extensive relationship with the royal family during his two presidencies.
Queen Elizabeth II hosted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a state visit in 2019 during his first term.
After returning to the White House, Trump made a second state visit to Britain in September 2025, when he and Melania were welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.
© GettyThe historic invitation made Trump the first elected political leader in modern times to receive two UK state visits.
Charles and Camilla subsequently travelled to the United States for a state visit in April 2026, further cementing the relationship between the monarch and the president.
Harry and Meghan’s new life in Britain
The Sussexes’ return represents an extraordinary reversal six years after they departed Britain and ultimately settled in California.
However, there has been no suggestion that Harry and Meghan will regain their former positions within the monarchy. Instead, their return marks the beginning of a new chapter as a family, with finding a permanent home and settling Archie and Lilibet into school among their immediate priorities.
Their children have spent most of their lives in California. Archie was born in London in May 2019 before moving to North America with his parents as a baby, while Lilibet was born in California in June 2021. The move also brings Harry considerably closer to his father following years of strain between them.
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