𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A royal author who once met Donald Trump has hinted at which members of the Royal Family the President views positively — and which he does not. Robert Hardman, author of Elizabeth II: In Private, In Public, reflected on his encounter with Trump, whom he interviewed for the book, and revealed what the controversial president made of both the work and senior royals.

Speaking on the Palace Confidential podcast, Hardman described visiting Trump at the White House — a meeting that was later followed by the president posting about the book on social media. During the visit, Hardman also asked for Trump’s views on key members of the Royal Family, as the state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla drew to a close.

Mr Hardman said: “He’s very happy with the way the visit’s gone, reiterated obviously how fond he is of the King.

“He also expressed great admiration for the Prince of Wales, and had very warm words — and words of concern as well — but was very flattering about the Princess of Wales. And possibly less flattering about the Sussexes. I’ll leave it at that for now.”

Prince Harry has been living in the United States with his wife, Meghan Markle, since stepping down as a senior working royal in 2020. According to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden, Trump once asked a British visitor about Harry: “Can you take him back?”

Trump’s comment about Prince Harry comes just days after the Duke’s trip to Ukraine, a country towards which Trump has taken a more antagonistic stance than his predecessor, Joe Biden. Harry has long supported Ukraine and recently spoke about his decision to continue that support, as well as his role within the Royal Family.

Harry told ITV that he would not be “gagged” by critics, adding: “We need to feel empowered to speak truth to power.” He said he would continue raising awareness of conflicts around the world.

Harry also reflected on his role within the Royal Family, describing his work in Ukraine as a continuation of what he did while a working royal. He said: “I will always be a part of the Royal Family, and I’m here working doing the very thing I was born to do.”

During his visit, Harry also called on Vladimir Putin to end the war. Speaking at the Kyiv Security Forum, he said: “President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing. There is still a moment — now — to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course.”