Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dramatic return to the United Kingdom after six years in the United States has already reignited debate about their relationship with the Royal Family. Now President Donald Trump has added another explosive layer to the story.
Speaking to reporters on September 2, Trump made it clear that he was pleased to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the United States — and suggested that, if the decision had been his, the couple might not have received such a welcoming path back into Britain.
“I’m happy about it,” Trump said when asked about their move, before adding that he was “not a fan” of the couple. He went on to praise the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III while accusing Harry and Meghan of treating the Royal Family with “great disrespect.”
But behind Trump’s latest comments is a much longer and more complicated story involving royal tensions, immigration questions, Harry’s controversial memoir, Meghan’s previous criticism of Trump and a legal battle surrounding the Duke’s American immigration records.
Here is what we know.
Trump reacts to Harry and Meghan leaving America
After years of building a new life in California, Harry and Meghan confirmed one of the biggest royal developments in recent memory: they were returning to Britain with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The family returned to the UK in late August and is expected to remain there for an extended period. Their children are due to attend school in Britain, although Harry and Meghan are not returning as working members of the Royal Family.
Trump’s response was unmistakably critical.
Speaking after a press conference, the president said he was pleased about the move.
“I’m happy about it. I was not a fan.”
Trump then emphasized his affection for other members of Britain’s monarchy, recalling his relationship with Queen Elizabeth and describing King Charles as a “great” man.
He added that, in his view, Harry and Meghan had treated the Royal Family disrespectfully and said that if he had been making the decision for the royals, he would not have welcomed the couple back.
Those remarks quickly attracted attention because Trump’s disagreement with the Sussexes stretches back years.
Trump’s relationship with the Royal Family is very different
Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for Britain’s monarchy, particularly Queen Elizabeth II.
During his years in public life, he frequently spoke warmly about the late monarch and has also maintained a cordial relationship with King Charles. In his latest comments, Trump again highlighted those connections while drawing a sharp distinction between the senior royals and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
That difference is important because Trump has often framed his criticism of Harry and Meghan around what he believes was their treatment of the monarchy.
After Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal duties in 2020, they eventually settled in California and began speaking publicly about their experiences within the institution.
Their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey produced worldwide headlines. Meghan discussed her struggles inside royal life, while the couple raised serious questions about how they had been treated by members of the institution surrounding the Royal Family.
Prince William subsequently responded to one of the biggest controversies from the interview by telling reporters that the royals were “very much not a racist family.”
The Sussexes continued discussing their experiences through interviews, their Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir Spare, published in 2023.
Those revelations widened the already visible divisions within the family.
Trump, meanwhile, consistently sided publicly with the monarchy.
Harry and Meghan’s six years in California changed everything
When Harry and Meghan stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in January 2020, the decision became known around the world as “Megxit.”
Their eventual move to California represented far more than a change of address.
It marked the beginning of an entirely new life outside the traditional royal system.
During their six years in the United States, Harry and Meghan launched Archewell, signed major entertainment agreements and built careers based around media production, charitable projects and commercial ventures.
They also became increasingly open about their disagreements with the Royal Family and British media.
Harry’s memoir Spare provided particularly personal details about his relationships with King Charles and Prince William. He described arguments within the family and alleged that a confrontation with William had once become physical.
The California years also brought another unexpected controversy — one involving Harry’s immigration status.
Prince Harry’s US visa became a political issue
Long before Harry announced his return to Britain, questions surrounding his American immigration paperwork had become the subject of legal proceedings.
The controversy developed after Harry discussed previous drug use in Spare, including cocaine, cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms.
The conservative Heritage Foundation subsequently sought records relating to Harry’s immigration status through Freedom of Information Act requests.
The group argued there was legitimate public interest in determining whether normal US immigration procedures had been followed when Harry entered the country. Government agencies resisted releasing his private immigration information, and the dispute eventually reached federal court.
The important distinction is that public speculation about Harry’s application is not proof that he lied on an immigration form.
The litigation centered largely on whether his private records should be disclosed. Heavily redacted documents were released in 2025, but Harry’s precise immigration status and the central details of his application remained confidential.
That uncertainty did not stop the issue from entering presidential politics.
Trump previously raised the possibility of deportation
Before the 2024 election, Trump was questioned about what would happen to Harry if authorities determined that the Duke had provided false information on his immigration paperwork.
Trump suggested Harry should not receive special treatment and indicated that immigration consequences could follow if wrongdoing were established.
He also said that he would not “protect” Harry, criticizing the prince over his treatment of Queen Elizabeth and describing his royal departure as a betrayal of the monarch.
The comments produced sensational headlines about possible deportation.
However, the key word was if.
Trump’s warning depended upon a finding that Harry had actually violated immigration rules. Publicly available information has not established that he did so.
That distinction is particularly important now that Harry has voluntarily returned to Britain.
The immigration controversy should therefore not be presented as evidence that Trump deported Harry or forced the Sussexes out of America. Reuters reported the family’s return as a decision by Harry and Meghan to move back to Britain for an extended period.
Did Trump cause Harry and Meghan to leave the United States?
That claim has circulated among some Trump supporters, but the publicly reported circumstances are considerably more complicated.
There has been no confirmed announcement from Harry or Meghan saying they left the United States because of Trump.
Instead, reports have pointed toward family considerations, schooling for Archie and Lilibet, Harry’s desire for stronger ties with Britain and the changing relationship between the Sussexes and King Charles.
The couple are also expected to retain significant connections to America.
Reuters reported when their move was announced that they planned to keep their California home and continue their media and business activities despite spending an extended period in Britain.
In other words, Trump may be happy that they have left, but that does not mean he made them leave.
Harry’s relationship with King Charles may be entering a new chapter
Perhaps the most significant consequence of the Sussexes’ return has nothing to do with American politics.
It concerns Harry’s family.
King Charles has had limited opportunities to spend time with Archie and Lilibet since Harry and Meghan moved across the Atlantic.
That changed significantly in July 2026 when Charles and Queen Camilla met Harry, Meghan and their children at Highgrove. Reuters reported that it was the King’s first meeting with his grandchildren in person since 2022.
With the Sussex children now living and attending school in Britain, opportunities for private family contact could become much more frequent.
Harry has previously spoken openly about wanting reconciliation with his family.
Whether that eventually leads to a genuine repair of his relationship with King Charles — or his far more strained relationship with Prince William — remains uncertain.
Their return does not mean Harry and Meghan are returning to royal duties.
Reports consistently indicate that they will remain non-working royals and live independently rather than moving back into an official royal residence.
That makes this very different from a reversal of the couple’s 2020 decision.
They are returning to Britain, but not to their former royal jobs.
Meghan’s career could also take another unexpected turn
Meghan’s professional future has added another layer of intrigue surrounding the move.
Recent reports have linked the former Suits actress with a possible return to acting. Her name was connected with Netflix drama The Gentlemen, although reports surrounding the potential role have continued to evolve.
Since leaving royal life, Meghan has pursued television production, podcasting, lifestyle projects and other commercial ventures.
A return to Britain could therefore influence not just the family’s personal lives but also Meghan’s entertainment and business career.
Harry, meanwhile, is expected to continue focusing heavily on charitable work and projects including the Invictus Games.
Trump’s comments guarantee the controversy is not disappearing
Harry and Meghan may have crossed the Atlantic, but their years in America will continue to follow them.
Questions about Harry’s immigration documents remain part of the public debate. Trump’s longstanding criticism of the couple remains unresolved. Their relationship with Prince William appears strained, and renewed scrutiny from Britain’s famously aggressive press is almost inevitable.
Yet their decision also creates something that seemed difficult to imagine several years ago: the possibility that Archie and Lilibet will grow up with significantly closer connections to their British relatives.
For King Charles in particular, that could prove far more important than the politics surrounding the move.
Trump has now made his position unmistakable. He is happy to see Harry and Meghan back in Britain, says he was never a fan of the couple and believes the Royal Family treated them more generously than he would have.
But despite the dramatic headlines surrounding Harry’s US immigration status, there is no established evidence that Trump deported him, forced him to leave America or that Harry was proven to have lied on his visa application.
What is confirmed is dramatic enough on its own: after six years in California, one of the world’s most famous families has returned to Britain — and the move has reopened nearly every royal controversy they left behind.