Donald Trump has been elected the next President of the US, leaving some royal fans concerned about Prince Harry’s future living in the country.
While his wife Meghan Markle, 43, is an American citizen, the duke, 40, is living in the country on a visa, which some are arguing was treated differently to those visas held by ordinary citizens. This is because of Harry’s shocking revelations of his past drug use in his 2023 memoir Spare, with one Washington think tank group wanting his visa to be reconsidered as a result.
These concerns about what could happen if Harry’s visa is revoked have further heightened over the past few hours as Donald Trump once said he would not “protect” the couple, making it clear he is not their biggest fans, especially after they quit life as senior Royals in 2020.
When it was confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be making Montecito, California, home, Trump announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the couple would not be given paid protection when living in the country.
In 2020, he wrote: “I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!”
Donald Trump also made it clear he did not like the couple after they urged Americans to vote in the 2020 presidential election in favour of Biden.
Although they did not specifically say this, the couple’s comments were inferred to be against Trump, which resulted in him making some comments against the couple.
He said at a White House press briefing when asked about Meghan: “I’m not a fan of hers. I would say this – and she has probably heard that – I wish a lot of luck to Harry because he’s going to need it.”
Similar comments were also made by the President in interviews in years after this, including during interviews with Nigel Farage on GB News.
Trump previously told Farage in 2021: “I’m not a fan of hers. I wasn’t from day one. I think Harry has been used horribly and I think some day he will regret it. I think Harry’s been used and been used terribly. I think it’s ruined his relationship with his family, and it hurts the Queen. She is trying do things that I think are very inappropriate.”
In another interview with Farage just this year, Trump also made it clear that “appropriate action” would be taken about Prince Harry if he did lie on his visa about his previous drug taking. He also continued to mention how he thought the couple “broke” the late Queen’s heart through their actions.
Speaking to Nigel Farage, Donald Trump said: “I think there was great disrespect, done to a person that I got to know and like very well. I thought she was treated very disrespectfully by them. Although, she wouldn’t show it because she was strong and smart. I would imagine they broke her heart. The things that they were saying were so bad and so horrible. She was in her 90s and hearing this stuff, I think they broke her heart. I think they really hurt her.”
When asked again about the visa situation, Trump also told Daily Express US before being elected: “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.”
President Trump has not publicly acknowledged the situation with Prince Harry’s visa yet after winning the election just hours ago, however fears are high about what it could mean for the duke and whether he may have to move back to the UK or to his new Portugal abode.
Royal pundit Hugo Vickers said: “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Trump suddenly said ‘Right, I’m sending Prince Harry out of this country.’ I think it’s very wise to take all the possibilities into account [and look to live elsewhere]. Looking at it from the outside, it makes perfect sense that they should have a backup plan.”
Another expert believes Trump would not risk his relationship with other royals by sending Harry packing. Richard Fitzwilliams said before the election results: “Harry was extremely foolish to discuss his drug taking in Spare both in interviews and in the memoir, available in paperback.
“However, the Sussexes have kept a relatively low profile during the Election, urging Americans to vote but not being explicit as to whom for.
“It is most unlikely that Trump would risk an embarrassing episode involving the royal family by expelling Harry if it was discovered that he had not revealed his drug taking on his Visa application.”