Getty Prince Harry and Donald Trump
Does Britain’s Prince Harry support President Donald Trump? Although that’s not entirely clear, a comment from thew Meghan Markle’s father to British television is raising some eyebrows about the prince’s supposed feelings toward, not only President Trump, but also Brexit.
The British Royal Family has a studiously followed tradition of not wading into contentious political debates (in fact, not weighing in on politics, period). Thus, it’s rare to get a glimpse of a senior Royal’s state of mind on a political topic or person, especially someone as controversial as Trump. However, Tom Markle, the father of Harry’s new wife, apparently didn’t get that message.
Here’s what you need to know:
Tom Markle Says Prince Harry Told Him He Thinks Trump Should Be Given a Chance
‘My daughter has been a Princess since the day she was born.’
Thomas Markle, father of the Duchess of Sussex, speaks about the moment he spoke to Prince Harry for the first time in a WORLD EXCLUSIVE interview.
In June 2018, Tom Markle gave an interview about the royal couple to Good Morning Britain that the Royal Family was reportedly not aware of.
According to Good Morning Britain, Tom Markle said he had a “loose conversation” with Prince Harry on the telephone, and they talked about both Trump and Brexit. As for Brexit, the show says Tom Markle said Harry indicated he was “open to the experiment” of Brexit (Britain exiting the EU), saying,”It was just a loose conversation about, something we have to try… I think he [the Duke of Sussex] was open to the experiment.”
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Thomas Markle says he feels like a ‘footnote in one of the greatest moments in history’ after he was unable to attend his daughter’s wedding to Prince Harry.
Read more: t.co/dNFBOt232u
GMB also asked Markle if Harry was a Trump supporter, and he replied, “I would hope not now, but at the time he might have been.” The site added, “The 73-year-old also claimed his son-in-law thinks that President Trump should be given a chance.”
Markle specifically said: “Our conversations was I was complaining that I didn’t like Donald Trump, he said give Donald Trump a chance. I sort of disagreed with that…That was his politics, I have my politics. I’ve always have a bad attitude about Donald Trump, and that’s never going to change, My god, I have to apologize to the rest of the world for my President. All Harry did was actually said, because Trump was new, he said, ‘Give him a chance.’ I think Harry’s probably changed his mind by now. I certainly hope he has.”
As for Brexit, he was also quoted as saying, “He didn’t know one way or the other, he was just saying he had to be open to it and see how it went.”
Previous unverified reports had indicated, through anonymous sources, that Prince Harry had been critical of Trump in private. It’s not clear to what degree Markle added his own elaboration or interpretation onto Harry’s supposed comments, either. Tom Markle, a former Hollywood lighting director, famously didn’t go to Meghan’s wedding after being exposed in a paparazzi scandal and then undergoing heart surgery. Prince Charles stepped in to walk the bride partially down the aisle.
Meghan Markle Criticized Trump in the Past
GettyMeghan Markle smiles as she speaks with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on April 18, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
Despite her father’s comment about Prince Harry, Meghan Markle is no Trump fan, based on comments she made about him in the past. In May 2016, she was asked about Trump on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. That’s before he was president. Asked about the momentum Trump had in the presidential race, Markle responded, “It’s really the moment that I go, we film Suits in Toronto and I might just stay in Canada.”
She added, “I mean come on, if that’s reality we are talking about, come on, that is a game changer in terms of how we move in the world here.”
According to The Independent, Meghan Markle labeled Trump a “misogynist” in that interview, saying, “Yes of course Trump is divisive. Think about just female voters alone. I think it was in 2012, the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points. That’s a huge number and with as misogynistic as Trump is and so vocal about it, that’s a huge chunk of it” and adding, “You’re not just voting for a woman if it’s Hillary because she’s a woman, but certainly because Trump has made it easy to see that you don’t really want that kind of world that he’s painting.”
Trump Previously Called Harry & Meghan a ‘Lovely Couple’
GettyDonald Trump.
Trump has had only nice things to say about the couple. “I want them to be happy, I really want them to be happy,” he said previously, adding that Harry and Meghan make a “lovely couple.”
The Couple Did Not Invite Any Political Leaders to Their Wedding
GettyPrince Harry marries Meghan Markle
When Harry and Meghan married, the couple kept all political leaders off their guest list. Some people regarded this as an attempt to avoid having to invite Trump to the wedding (or be perceived as dissing him by not granting the American president an invite.) This was speculation, however, but it’s a fact that the couple’s wedding was filled with family (primarily on the groom’s side), friends, and celebrities. The couple also was not obligated to invite political leaders to their wedding because, unlike Prince William, Harry is not the heir to the throne.
“It has been decided that an official list of political leaders – both UK and international – is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said at the time. “Her Majesty’s Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household.”
Prince Harry Has Worked With the Obamas Before & Met Melania Trump
GettyPrince Harry poses with U.S. first lady Melania Trump for the first time as she leads the USA team delegation ahead of the Invictus Games 2017 on September 23, 2017 in Toronto, Canada
Prince Harry has been said to have a positive relationship with Barack and Michelle Obama, having worked with them on the Invictus Games.
Harry also previously interviewed Barack Obama.
In 2017, when the couple announced their engagement, former President Obama tweeted, “Michelle and I are delighted to congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. We wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness together.”
Prince Harry also met Melania Trump at the Invictus Games, but her husband was not with her.