Six years ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left Britain and began building another life thousands of miles away.
They settled in California.
They raised their children there.
They stepped permanently away from their positions as working members of the Royal Family.
And over the years that followed, the reasons for their departure became the subject of interviews, documentaries, court battles, a memoir and countless headlines.
Then, in August 2026, something few expected happened.
Harry and Meghan came back.
Not for a funeral.
Not for a brief royal event.
Not for a carefully scheduled visit lasting a few days.
They returned to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet for what has been described as an extended stay, with their children enrolled in British schools. They are expected to remain private, non-working members of the Royal Family rather than resume official duties. (Jacaranda FM)
And less than a week after the family arrived, President Donald Trump was asked what he thought about it.
His answer was anything but diplomatic.
“I’m happy about it,” Trump said of their departure from the United States.
Then he explained why.
“I was not a fan.”
And when the president began talking specifically about Meghan and the Royal Family, his language became even stronger.
Trump said he believed Harry and Meghan had treated the royals with “great disrespect,” before singling out Meghan and describing her behavior as “terribly disrespectful.” (Reuters)
Then came perhaps his most striking remark of all.
If he had been a member of the Royal Family, Trump said, he would not have welcomed them back.
Trump Had Been Asked a Very Simple Question
The exchange happened on September 2 during a question-and-answer session in the Oval Office.
A reporter asked Trump for his reaction to the news that Harry and Meghan had left the United States and returned to Britain.
Trump could have given a short diplomatic answer.
He could have wished the family well.
He could have declined to become involved in another family’s complicated history.
Instead, he answered immediately.
“I’m happy about it.”
Then he began explaining his feelings about the people at the center of the story. (Reuters)
For Trump, the issue appeared to be deeply connected to his affection for the British monarchy — particularly Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
“I Had a Very Good Relationship With the Queen”
Trump quickly turned the conversation toward the late Queen.
He said he had enjoyed a very good relationship with Elizabeth II and had gotten to know her during his interactions with the Royal Family.
He then spoke warmly about Charles.
Trump said he had known Charles since before he became King and called him a “great, great guy.” (The Guardian)
That context mattered because Trump framed his criticism of Harry and Meghan not simply as dislike of the couple, but as a reaction to how he believed they had treated an institution — and individuals — he respected.
“I thought they treated the royal family with great disrespect,” he said. (Reuters)
He wasn’t finished.
Then He Singled Out Meghan
Trump’s criticism became more personal when he turned specifically to the Duchess of Sussex.
“I didn’t like the way she acted,” he said, before adding that he considered her “terribly disrespectful” toward the Queen and King Charles. (MarketScreener)
Those are Trump’s characterizations, not established facts, and they reflect his longstanding opinion of Meghan rather than a neutral account of the disputes between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.
But they were unmistakably strong words from a sitting American president about a woman who had spent the previous six years living in his country.
And their timing made them even more notable.
Harry and Meghan had only just returned to Britain.
August 26 Marked Their Return
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived back in the United Kingdom on August 26.
Their children were understood to be traveling with them.
It was the beginning of a dramatic geographical reversal for a family whose departure from Britain had once appeared remarkably permanent. (CBS News)
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced that they wanted to step back as senior working royals and become financially independent.
By March of that year, they had established themselves in California.
The move was followed by years of public tension.
But this summer, the picture began changing.
The First Major Sign Came With King Charles
Before their relocation was announced, Harry and Meghan returned to Britain with Archie and Lilibet in July.
The family visited King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove.
It was especially significant for the children.
According to the BBC, Charles had not seen Archie and Lilibet in person for more than four years. The Palace described the gathering as a “private family occasion.” (Jacaranda FM)
There were no dramatic public announcements afterward.
No declaration of reconciliation.
No announcement that Harry and Meghan were returning to royal duties.
But something had changed.
Grandfather and grandchildren were together again.
Weeks later came the news almost nobody had anticipated.
The Sussexes were moving back.
But They Are Not Returning as Working Royals
That distinction is crucial.
Harry and Meghan’s move does not undo their 2020 departure from official royal life.
They are expected to remain private individuals and non-working members of the Royal Family. There are currently no plans for them to resume official royal duties. (Jacaranda FM)
In other words, this is not 2018 again.
Meghan is not returning to Britain to restart the life she once had inside the monarchy.
Harry isn’t simply reclaiming his old position.
They have spent six years developing independent careers and raising their children outside the traditional royal structure.
Their return is primarily a family relocation.
For Trump, however, the distinction did little to soften his opinion.
“I Would Not Have Taken Them Back”
After discussing his relationships with Elizabeth and Charles, Trump imagined what he would have done in the Royal Family’s position.
He said he would not have taken Harry and Meghan back. (Reuters)
It was perhaps the sharpest sentence of the entire exchange.
But the reality inside the Royal Family appears more complicated.
Charles has reportedly welcomed the opportunity to spend additional private time with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
When the King was informed of their relocation plans, the BBC reported that he welcomed the prospect of seeing more of the Sussex family in a personal capacity. (Jacaranda FM)
That does not mean every wound has healed.
It does not mean the disputes of the past six years have disappeared.
It simply means Charles’s response to his son’s return appears different from the one Trump says he would have chosen.
The Children May Be the Biggest Difference
Archie was an infant when his parents stepped back from royal life.
Lilibet had not yet been born.
Now they are seven and five.
And their parents have enrolled them in school in Britain. (Jacaranda FM)
That one detail makes this return fundamentally different from the family’s previous visits.
School creates roots.
It creates ordinary mornings and afternoons.
Friends.
Classmates.
Weekends.
Sports.
Birthday parties.
A routine.
For the first time, Archie and Lilibet will have an opportunity to experience their father’s home country as part of everyday childhood rather than as a destination for occasional family visits.
Harry has previously spoken about wanting his children to spend time in Britain, and reporting around the move suggests that desire played a significant role in the decision. (Reuters)
Six Years of Conflict Sit Behind Trump’s Comments
To understand why Trump’s remarks immediately attracted attention, it is necessary to remember what happened after the Sussexes moved to America.
In March 2021, Harry and Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview watched around the world.
Meghan described serious difficulties with royal life and said there had been conversations about how dark their unborn son’s skin might be.
Harry discussed feeling unsupported and raised concerns about security.
Prince William publicly responded to the controversy days later, saying the royals were “very much not a racist family.” (Reuters)
Then came more interviews.
The Netflix documentary series.
Harry’s memoir, Spare.
Harry publicly described conflicts involving his father, brother and other members of the family.
To supporters of the Sussexes, many of those disclosures represented two people explaining experiences they felt had previously been misrepresented.
To critics, discussing private royal conflicts so publicly represented a profound breach of family trust.
Trump clearly falls into the latter camp.
His Opinion of Meghan Is Not New
The September remarks did not appear from nowhere.
Trump and Meghan have been publicly critical of one another at different points over the years.
Before she married Harry, Meghan criticized Trump during his first presidential campaign.
Trump subsequently made clear that he was not an admirer of hers either.
Their disagreements occasionally resurfaced as Harry and Meghan built their post-royal life in the United States.
So when Trump said on September 2 that he “was not a fan,” it continued a public dynamic that had existed long before the Sussexes returned to Britain.
What changed was the context.
For years, Meghan had been an American-born duchess living in America after leaving the British monarchy.
Now she was back in Britain.
And the American president was effectively saying he was pleased to see her go.
Yet Trump’s Warmest Words Were Reserved for Charles
The contrast in Trump’s remarks was striking.
His criticism of Harry and Meghan was blunt.
His description of Charles was affectionate.
Trump emphasized that he had known Charles for a long time, including before his accession to the throne. (MarketScreener)
His affection for the British monarchy has been well documented, and he has repeatedly spoken warmly about Queen Elizabeth II.
The Guardian notes that Trump has connected his fascination with the monarchy to his Scottish-born mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, and childhood memories of watching Elizabeth’s 1953 coronation. (The Guardian)
So when Trump looked at the Sussex story, he appeared to view it through that lens.
He saw people he admired on one side.
And Harry and Meghan on the other.
The family itself may see things differently.
Charles Appears to Be Choosing Family Over Public Drama
There is something particularly interesting about the King’s reported reaction.
He does not have to restore Harry and Meghan as working royals in order to see them as family.
Those are two separate relationships.
One is institutional.
The other is personal.
The institutional arrangement remains unchanged.
Harry and Meghan will not return to their old working roles. (ITVX)
But privately, Charles now has the possibility of seeing Archie and Lilibet far more often.
That may be especially meaningful as the King continues treatment for cancer, something Trump himself referenced while speaking warmly about him. (Reuters)
For a grandfather, the calculation may look considerably different than it does to an outside observer.
Harry’s Relationship With William Is Another Question Entirely
A return to Britain also means physical distance can no longer explain every family separation.
Prince William and Harry have remained estranged through much of the period following the Sussexes’ departure.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were informed of Harry and Meghan’s plans, according to reporting surrounding the move. (Jacaranda FM)
But there has been no announcement of a broader reconciliation between the brothers.
That remains one of the largest unanswered questions surrounding the Sussex family’s return.
Living in the same country creates opportunities.
It does not guarantee that anyone will take them.
Security Remains Complicated Too
Harry’s security arrangements in Britain have been a source of controversy for years.
After stepping back as a working royal, he lost the automatic level of taxpayer-funded police protection he previously received.
He subsequently challenged decisions surrounding his security through the British courts.
When Harry and Meghan arrived at Birmingham Airport on August 26, ITV reported that they left without a police escort. (ITVX)
British officials have generally declined to discuss specific security arrangements publicly, citing the obvious risks of revealing such information.
That issue remains one of the practical complications surrounding the family’s new life.
Yet they returned anyway.
Their New Life May Look Nothing Like Their Old One
Perhaps that is the detail most easily lost beneath Trump’s comments.
Harry and Meghan are returning to Britain.
But they are not returning to the version of Britain they left.
Nor are they the same people who departed in 2020.
Meghan now has her own business projects and professional identity outside the monarchy.
Harry’s Invictus Games will return to Britain in 2027.
Their children are old enough to understand where they are living.
And reports indicate the family intends to establish a private, non-royal home base outside London while retaining ties to their Montecito residence. (People.com)
It is not a restoration.
It is something new.
Trump, However, Has Made His Position Clear
There wasn’t much ambiguity in the president’s answer.
He likes the King.
He deeply admired the late Queen.
He did not approve of the way Harry and Meghan handled their departure and subsequent public criticism of royal life.
And he particularly objected to Meghan’s conduct.
Whether people agree with him is another matter entirely.
Harry and Meghan have given their own extensive explanations for why they left Britain and why they chose to speak publicly afterward. Their supporters have argued that those accounts deserve to be heard, particularly given the couple’s complaints about media treatment, security and their experiences within the institution.
Trump sees it differently.
And on September 2, he said so publicly.
Meanwhile, the Family Has Already Come Home
That may ultimately be the most important contrast.
While outsiders continue arguing over what happened six years ago, the people involved are making decisions about what happens next.
King Charles has already seen his grandchildren.
Archie and Lilibet are beginning school in Britain.
Harry has returned to the country he once said security concerns made difficult to visit with his family.
Meghan is returning under completely different circumstances from those of her years as a working duchess.
And Charles, whatever private feelings he may carry about the past, has reportedly welcomed the chance to spend more time with them as family. (Jacaranda FM)
Trump would have made a different decision.
He made that unmistakably clear.
“If I were the royal family,” he said, he would not have taken them back. (Reuters)
But Trump isn’t the Royal Family.
And perhaps that is what makes this strange new chapter so fascinating.
Six years ago, Harry and Meghan’s departure seemed to divide two worlds.
America became home.
Britain became the place they had left behind.
Now the Sussexes have crossed that distance again.
And almost immediately, one of America’s most powerful voices sent a message after them — reminding everyone that while Harry and Meghan may have returned to Britain, the arguments surrounding why they left never really went away.
For more on Meghan’s recent activities, check out how Meghan Markle Finally Breaks Her Silence After Unexpected U.K. Return – and Her First Words Point Toward a “New Chapter”, or dive into other celebrity news like Three Years After Bryan Randall’s Death, Sandra Bullock’s Daughter Has One Very Specific Rule Before Her Mom Dates Again and Catherine Zeta-Jones Was Left One Remarkable Bronze Piece by Kirk Douglas – Six Years After His Death, the Meaning Behind the Gift Has Finally Emerged.
