US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has said he is pleased that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle no longer live in America, and that he would not have welcomed the couple back into the royal family had he been in their shoes.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday (2), the US president was asked for his reaction to the couple's move from California back to Britain. It was his first comment on the news.
"I'm happy about it. I was not a fan," Trump told reporters.
He went on to accuse Meghan, 45, of disrespecting the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
"I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect. 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, 41, is said to have rebuilt his relationship with his father, who is being treated for cancer, during recent trips to the UK. However, he reportedly remains at odds with his brother, Prince William, and William's wife Catherine.
Asked whether he would have acted differently towards the couple, Trump indicated he would have been less willing to forgive them.
"Maybe I'm different. I wouldn't have taken him back, right? If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back," he said.
US president Donald Trump speaks as he hosts a dinner in the Rose Garden at the White House on September 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Wednesday's remarks are not the first time the 80-year-old has clashed with Meghan. During his first term, on the eve of a 2019 state visit to Britain, Trump denied calling her "nasty", despite the remark being audible on a recording of a tabloid interview.
Meghan had earlier criticised Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, describing him as "misogynistic" and "divisive". He appeared to take issue with further comments she made ahead of the 2020 election, which he lost, telling an interviewer he was "not a fan" of her and adding: "I wish a lot of luck to Harry, because he's going to need it."
Royal feud
Harry and Meghan have now returned to Britain with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, bringing to an end years spent living abroad after quitting royal duties.
The couple married in 2018 but stepped back from royal life two years later following a falling-out with the family, relocating to North America.
Relations worsened further after Harry released his memoir, Spare, and the pair sat down for a frank television interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they suggested the monarchy had shown racist attitudes, alleging that a family member had questioned what skin colour their son would have before his birth.
Meghan also revealed in the interview that she had had suicidal thoughts after marrying into the family.
Despite securing lucrative deals with US companies such as Netflix and Spotify, reports have suggested the couple struggled to establish themselves professionally in America.
Their decision to return to the UK has prompted speculation about their long-term plans.
According to the Telegraph, the family intend to remain for "an extended period" and have moved into a house in the Cotswolds, with their children due to start at a local school this academic year.
Even so, the couple are reported to be keeping hold of their properties in California and Portugal, fuelling questions over whether the move is permanent.
Meghan in particular may find it difficult to settle back into British life, with opinion polls showing most people view her unfavourably. Harry, though less unpopular than his wife, also has negative approval ratings among the British public.
