Prince Harry and Meghan's 'Euro escape' if things get 'tricky' for them in Trump's America
Prince Harry and wife Meghan will have been closely watching the results of last week’s election in the US, and are no doubt disappointed that Donald Trump has secured his second term as President. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, speaking exclusively to OK!, says that remaining in the US may no longer be that appealing for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“Harry and Meghan have been very well behaved on all fronts recently with no public criticism of the Royal Family and no overt political statements before the US election. However, it’s obvious that neither will be pleased to see Trump back in the White House,” she says. “It could be uncomfortable for them living in a country where the President has made some pretty scathing comments about them both.”
Trump has previously spoken about whether he believes Harry should have been allowed a US visa following the prince’s confession in his memoir Spare that he had used drugs as a teenager. At a political conference earlier this year Trump said that Joe Biden’s government had been “too gracious” to Harry and Meghan since they moved to the US in 2020.
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He also previously accused Harry of having “betrayed the Queen,” saying that was “unforgivable,” but as Jennie says, it is hard to predict whether his feelings will affect his treatment of the couple, who currently live in Montecito, California.
“Trump often says one thing and does the opposite,” says Jennie. “I understand that Trump himself is in dispute with the Heritage Foundation because it forced the release of immigration records concerning [his wife] Melania’s late mother. So he’s not a fan of the organisation and may be disinclined to help it pursue its accusations over Harry’s visa. So that problem may have gone away.”
A week before the election, Donald Trump’s son, Eric, hinted that may be the case, saying that Harry’s US visa is safe because “no one cares” about him. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Eric added: “Truthfully I don’t give a damn about Prince Harry and I don’t think this country does either.”
Jennie also points out that Harry and Meghan may be happy to stay where they are: “The Sussexes are living in a very liberal, Democratic part of the United States – and in one of the most expensive and protected areas of California. So I think they can live a life pretty cocooned from Trumpite America. They will obviously not be happy with the result of the election, but I doubt if it is enough for them to uproot their family and move elsewhere.”
However, they do have the option of relocating to Portugal, where they have reportedly bought a holiday home close to one that Prince Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, owns with her husband Jack Brooksbank. “They do now have a bolt hole in Portugal,” says Jennie. “It’s probably much more than a bolt hole – it’s undoubtedly a very beautiful property and was maybe sourced by Eugenie’s husband, Jack.”
“So, if things get tricky or uncomfortable in the States, Europe may see a little more of Harry and Meghan and their children. My guess, though, is that they will let the dust settle and see how things pan out – they seem very happy in their Californian lifestyle and I’m sure they don’t want to unsettle their children unnecessarily.”
