Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's surprise decision to pack up their life in California and head back to the United Kingdom has triggered a wave of sharp reactions from Americans — and not the kind the couple would have hoped for.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived back in Britain at the end of August, wrapping up a six-year chapter in the US that began right after they stepped away from royal duties in 2020. While details about their long-term plans remain vague, sources close to the family say they intend to settle somewhere outside London, with their children Archie and Lilibet already enrolled in local schools.
The move quickly caught the attention of US President Donald Trump, who didn't hold back when asked about it. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he was glad to see the couple go, adding that he had never really warmed to them in the first place. He went further, accusing the pair of disrespecting the royal family and reserved particularly pointed criticism for Meghan, saying he disapproved of how she carried herself. Trump also brought up his fondness for the late Queen Elizabeth and his good relationship with King Charles, who continues to undergo cancer treatment.
Trump wasn't alone in voicing frustration. American conservative commentator Meghan McCain took to social media to blast the couple, arguing that Americans see through what she called their entitled act and don't have much patience left for it. She also suggested that the Sussexes never truly found their footing in the US and that their departure was no great loss.
British broadcaster Piers Morgan, long known for his frosty relationship with Meghan, added his own sarcastic jab, joking that he might have to move to America now that the couple was leaving it.
This isn't a sudden shift in mood. Woody Johnson, the former US Ambassador to the UK, had already flagged months earlier that American enthusiasm for Harry and Meghan was cooling. He pointed to confusion among ordinary Americans over some of the couple's choices, including Harry's brief and low-key visit to the UK following Queen Elizabeth's death.
Much of the lingering resentment traces back to the couple's headline-grabbing moments since leaving royal life — the Oprah Winfrey interview, the Netflix documentary series, and Harry's memoir Spare — all of which stirred controversy on both sides of the Atlantic. What once felt like fresh, sympathetic coverage in the US has gradually turned into public fatigue, with critics accusing the pair of using their royal background for personal gain while distancing themselves from the family that gave them their platform.
As Harry and Meghan settle back into British life, it remains to be seen whether this homecoming marks a genuine reset — or simply opens a new chapter in the long-running saga surrounding the Sussexes.
Key Takeaways:
- Harry and Meghan have left California and moved back to Britain after six years in the US.
- US President Donald Trump publicly said he was "not a fan" of the couple and criticized how they treated the royal family.
- Trump specifically singled out Meghan, calling her behavior disrespectful.
- Conservative commentator Meghan McCain mocked the couple, saying Americans dislike "entitled grifters."
- Former US Ambassador Woody Johnson had earlier noted that American support for the pair had been fading for years.
- The couple's children, Archie and Lilibet, are reportedly enrolled in schools outside London.
