President Donald Trump says he is “happy” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left the United States after six years based in California.
Asked about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a Sept. 2 Oval Office appearance, Trump replied, “I am happy about it. I was not a fan,” according to Reuters. He accused the couple of treating the royal family with “great disrespect” and directed his sharpest criticism at Meghan.
Trump also weighed in on their return to Britain. “If I were the royal family, I would not have taken them back,” he said. Harry and Meghan are expected to remain non-working members of the royal family.
The Sussexes arrived in Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet near the end of August and plan to make a private, non-royal residence their home base for an extended period. The move is not necessarily a permanent break with America, however, because the couple are retaining their California home while their children begin school in Britain.
Trump Said Meghan Was ‘Terribly Disrespectful’
Trump said he had enjoyed a good relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II and continues to have one with King Charles III. He contrasted those relationships with his view of how the Sussexes behaved after their break from working royal life.
“I didn’t like the way she acted,” Trump said of Meghan. “I thought she was terribly disrespectful.” He also said he believed Harry and Meghan had treated the wider royal family with “great disrespect.”
Harry and Meghan have publicly aired grievances involving the royal institution since leaving front-line duties, including in their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.
The Sussexes Are Keeping Their California Home
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and ultimately settled in Montecito, California. Reuters reported on Aug. 20 that the family planned to relocate to somewhere outside London for an extended period, with Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, attending school in Britain.
The family arrived in the U.K. on Aug. 26. PEOPLE subsequently reported that they intend to use a private, non-royal residence in Britain as their home base while maintaining both their California property and a vacation home in Portugal. They also plan to continue their charitable, production and business ventures rather than resume official royal roles.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes previously declined to discuss their travel arrangements, saying, “This is not something we would comment on.” Harry similarly said he had “nothing to say” when questioned about reports of the move before leaving the United States.
The couple have not issued a formal public explanation laying out one reason for relocating now. Harry has, however, previously spoken about wanting his children to spend more time in his home country, while reporting around the move has emphasized his desire for them to experience both sides of their family’s life.
Trump’s Public Criticism of Meghan Goes Back Years
The latest comments continue a public history between Trump and Meghan that predates her departure from royal duties. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Meghan called Trump “misogynistic” and “divisive” while discussing the election on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.
Before his 2019 state visit to Britain, Trump was told about those remarks during an interview with The Sun and responded that he had not known Meghan had been “nasty.” He later denied calling her nasty, although the newspaper released audio containing the exchange.
When Harry and Meghan moved to California in 2020, Trump announced that the United States would not pay for their security. A spokesperson for the couple responded that they had no intention of asking the U.S. government to fund their protection and said privately financed arrangements had already been made.
Later that year, Harry and Meghan appeared in a video encouraging Americans to vote and urging people to reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity. They did not endorse Trump or Joe Biden by name. When asked about the video, Trump again said he was “not a fan” of Meghan and wished Harry “a lot of luck.”
Harry Announces One of His First Public Engagements Since the Move
Harry is already preparing for one of his first newly announced public engagements since relocating to Britain, although it will take him away from the U.K. again. Later in September, the Duke of Sussex is set to participate in a charity skydive benefiting Canada’s Sunnybrook Foundation and True Patriot Love Foundation.
According to PEOPLE, the idea grew out of Harry’s November 2025 meeting with 102-year-old Second World War veteran Ed Marshall at Sunnybrook Hospital’s veterans center in Toronto. Marshall, who trained as a paratrooper, told Harry about completing a charity skydive for his 100th birthday.
Marshall will not participate in Harry’s jump, but his grandson Bailey is expected to represent him. The exact location and timing of the event have not yet been announced.
Harry served in the British Army for 10 years and completed two tours in Afghanistan. He will also continue preparations for the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, the international sporting competition he founded for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.