During his surprise visit to Ukraine on April 23, Prince Harry urged the U.S. to show strong leadership during his speech. In response, Donald Trump brought up Meghan Markle. When a reporter asked Trump a question about Harry and Ukraine, he said that the prince did not speak for the U.K. Instead of addressing the Duke of Sussex’s remarks directly, the president made it personal, mentioned Markle, and asked the reporter to offer her his regards.
Donald Trump asks about Meghan Markle while responding to Prince Harry’s Ukraine speech
Prince Harry gave a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, but President Donald Trump, in his reply, asked about Meghan Markle. Notably, ITV News exclusively reported that Harry pointed to America’s role in past security assurances to Ukraine, without mentioning Trump in his speech and directing his remarks at “American leadership.”
Reporters raised the duke’s comments later that day while Trump spoke with the press in the Oval Office. But instead of engaging with the details of Harry’s remarks, Trump asked, “Prince Harry? How’s he doing? How’s his wife?” and added, “Please give her my regards.”
Then, Trump said Harry does not speak for Britain. He said, “I know one thing: Prince Harry is not speaking for the U.K. That’s for sure,” adding, “I think I’m speaking for the U.K. more than Prince Harry. But I appreciate his advice.”
The exchange pulled the Duchess of Sussex back into the story, since Trump’s comments about her have made headlines earlier as well. In 2019, he drew attention for passing remarks on her, but then later denied them — something that came after Markle criticized him during the 2016 election cycle, describing him as “divisive.”
While Trump brushed off Harry, he had a much warmer tone for King Charles ahead of the monarch’s upcoming visit. He told the BBC that Charles was “a fantastic man,” and added, “I know him well, I’ve known him for years. He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man.”
