Trump says he’s ‘happy’ Prince Harry, Meghan Markle leaving US

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent six years projecting an image of seamless integration into the American elite, yet their departure from California was reportedly marked by a quiet social collapse. While the couple sought a high-profile emotional send-off from the showbiz inner circle, the plan for a Montecito farewell party was scrapped after A-list acquaintances were reportedly too busy to attend, an outcome described by an insider as embarrassing via RadarOnline.

The failure of the event suggests a widening gap between the couple's perceived status as Hollywood power players and their actual standing among the celebrities they believed were their American family. According to the same source, the Sussexes had hoped for the attendance of figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner, Tyler Perry, and David Foster. Instead, the response was basically crickets.

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President Donald Trump reacted to the couple's return to the UK with open approval, speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, September 3, 2026.

"I’m happy about it. I was not a fan,"

Donald Trump, President, via Mercury News

Trump specifically criticized the couple's conduct toward the British monarchy, stating that he believed they treated the royal family with great disrespect and took issue with the way Meghan acted toward King Charles and the late Queen. The president, who had previously predicted the relationship would end poorly and suggested the Queen strip them of their titles in 2022, added that he would not have taken them back if he were the royal family.

The move back to the UK, which occurred last month according to the BBC, does not signal a total abandonment of the West Coast. The couple is maintaining their home in Montecito while residing in a private, non-royal residence outside of London. Despite the change in geography, they will not resume their roles as working members of the royal family.

Their transition has been fraught with friction on both sides of the Atlantic. In California, Montecito neighbors reportedly felt the couple failed to embrace the local community. One resident, identified as Susan, claimed she sent a welcoming gift in 2020 that was returned unopened the next day, suggesting the Sussexes were only interested in friendships with the famous or the wealthy. Author Robert Eringer told the Daily Mail that he doubted anyone in the community would have noticed they had left if it had not been reported in the news.

A similar chill awaits them in England. As the couple considers the Cotswolds as a base for themselves and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, local residents have expressed concerns in WhatsApp groups and at school gates. While the region is accustomed to wealthy celebrities, residents are reportedly discussing the couple's bitter history with the royal family and the implications for local security and schools.

Professionally, Meghan Markle's trajectory remains uncertain. While rumors have circulated regarding a potential role in the third season of the Netflix series The Gentlemen, star Theo James told Town & Country on September 2, 2026, that such claims were mainly hot air via Yahoo News. James noted that while the story for the upcoming season is still being developed, Markle will not be joining the set soon.

This contradiction follows Markle's own mixed signals regarding her career. In a 2017 BBC interview, she stated she was ready to leave Hollywood behind, and in 2022, she told Variety she was done with acting, though she hedged her position by saying never say never.

The couple's departure follows a pattern of high-profile exits from Los Angeles, though the motivations vary. For example, Kelly Osbourne recently moved back to the UK to provide a different environment for her son, citing concerns over school safety in America.

For the Sussexes, the move is framed by a desire for family reconciliation. Harry has expressed interest in spending more time with King Charles III, who is currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. This desire for a personal truce exists against the backdrop of the couple's previous allegations of racism within the royal family — claims Buckingham Palace called concerning and Prince William denied in March 2021.

The Hollywood Exodus

The Sussexes are not the only high-profile figures to trade Los Angeles for the English countryside. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi moved to the Cotswolds in November 2024, a decision DeGeneres confirmed to Richard Bacon in July 2025 via the BBC. Similarly, Josh O'Connor relocated his family to the Hampshire countryside to avoid a professional environment he described to People as one note.

While some exits were driven by family needs or safety — such as Kelly Osbourne's desire to avoid gun raid drills in American schools, as reported by Hello! magazine, the Sussexes' move follows a more contentious trajectory. Their relationship with the American elite reportedly shifted over time; an insider told Radaronline that while figures like Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry provided early support and a global platform, those bonds frayed by the time of their departure.

The professional consequences of this move remain unsettled. Although Theo James dismissed rumors of Markle joining The Gentlemen as hot air, he noted that the series is expanding its world to different countries. For the couple, the next step involves navigating a chilly reception in the Cotswolds while Harry pursues a personal reconciliation with King Charles III.