Royal expert says the Duke of Sussex’s comments caused real concern inside the Palace
Harry, who now lives in the United States with Meghan Markle after stepping down as a senior royal, raised eyebrows with a lighthearted remark during a cameo on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He joked that Donald Trump is America’s king, a comment that came almost three months after the former president visited Britain for a state visit hosted by King Charles. Meghan Markle later shared the clip in her Instagram stories.
According to a royal expert, the reaction inside the Palace will not have been amused. King Charles and William are said to be horrified by the duke’s decision to bring the US president into a joke, especially given the expectation that royals stay out of political debate. Phil Dampier, quoted by the Daily Mail, said the remarks would have caused real dismay among senior figures. He argued that Harry should have avoided any comment that could be seen as stepping into American politics.
Dampier suggested the appearance reflects how little the Duke of Sussex now worries about royal protocol and even compared the situation to that of Andrew, saying that holding on to royal titles while behaving independently is becoming harder to justify. He added that talk of Harry returning to take on occasional duties is now unrealistic and that his life in California appears permanent.
Kinsey Schofield shared a similar view with Fox News Digital. She said Harry’s quip about Trump was not clever but reckless and questioned how he expects to keep a royal title while making public comments about the leader of another country.
