New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump has said he is “happy” about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the United Kingdom. He further criticised their past treatment of the royal family.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on 2 September, Trump responded to a question about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving the United States.
“I’m happy about it. I was not a fan,” he said. He further added that he had a “very good relationship” with the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles. “I knew him as Prince Charles, and as King Charles, I’ve known him for a long time; he’s a great, great guy.”
Trump further added that he believed the couple “treated the royal family with great disrespect.”
“I didn’t like the way she acted,” he said, speaking of Markle. “I thought she was terribly disrespectful to the Queen, to King Charles.”
He further said that “if I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back.”
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The Sussexes return to Britain
The Sussexes returned to Britain last month with their children, 7-year-old Prince Archie and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet, after six years based in Montecito, California. As per reports in the BBC, they landed back in Birmingham around midday on 26 August, with no police presence.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the BBC, “This is not something we would comment on”.
The family is expected to live at a private, non-royal residence outside London for an extended period and have enrolled their children in a British school, the classes for which will be starting this autumn. They are retaining their California home and have no plans to resume official working royal duties
Harry and Meghan first left the UK in early 2020. In January, they announced they would “step back” as senior members of the royal family to become financially independent, a move widely dubbed “Megxit.” They initially spent time in Canada before settling in California later in March 2020.
Their departure followed growing tensions with other members of the royal family and intense media scrutiny. Harry also pursued legal challenges over the loss of taxpayer-funded security after stepping down from royal roles.
The couple has not publicly detailed the reasons for their return. Sources close to them, as quoted by People, have cited a combination of factors. Harry “never really stopped missing home.”
The decision was described as one “taken as a family,” with a focus on giving Archie and Lilibet the chance to experience British life, family connections, and schooling. A representative for the couple told The New York Times that, following a summer trip with family and friends, they had decided to spend an extended period in the UK this autumn so the children could spend more time there.
“On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn,” the representative said. “They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that’s such an important part of their family’s story.”
Buckingham Palace has not issued a detailed public response beyond acknowledging the family’s private status.
Edited by Maryam Hassan