Donald Trump has said he would not have taken Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back into the royal family, claiming the couple treated the monarchy with “great disrespect”. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, returned to the UK last week to begin a new life after six years living in the US.
Trump's reaction to the Sussexes' return
Asked in the White House about his reaction to the departure from the US of Harry and Meghan, Mr Trump said: “I’m happy about it. I was not a fan.” He added: “I had a very good relationship with the Queen. Really good. I got to know her very well.
“A really good relationship with King Charles. I knew him as Prince Charles and King Charles. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s great, great guy.”
Allegations of disrespect
“And I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect. I didn’t like it,” Mr Trump said. “I didn’t like the way she acted. I thought she was terribly disrespectful to the Queen, to King Charles. I wouldn’t have taken them back. If I were in the royal family I would not have taken him back.”
Harry and Meghan, who are remaining as non-working royals, quit the monarchy six years ago, relocating to the US from where they criticised members of the royal family and the institution. The Sussexes’ dramatic U-turn was revealed last month, but the pair have yet to speak publicly about their plans.
Security and unanswered questions
The family is said to be settling in the UK for an “extended period” of time amid speculation as to how long they will stay and where they will live, with the Cotswolds being suggested as the most likely destination. Many questions remain unanswered, including whether taxpayers will foot the bill for their security.
Harry, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last month asking her to take a personal role in determining if his family receive close police protection. Prime Minister Andy Burnham would previously not be drawn on Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements in the UK, saying the funding for it was a “private matter”.
Harry had insisted it was too dangerous to bring his wife and children to the UK with the security he was entitled to post-Megxit. It is understood there have been at least six threats or plots concerning the duke from the Taliban, al Qaida or their supporters since 2007. Last year, he lost a legal battle against the Home Office over the security arrangements for him and his family while in the UK, after his level of protection changed when he stopped being a working royal. Harry has argued he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with “additional layers of racism and extremism”.
