Harry and Meghan stay silent as Trump state visit unfolds, fueling speculation

A week of high-profile royal events in Britain culminated in a state visit by President Donald Trump, with King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in attendance. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, did not speak publicly during the visit, a silence that roiled royal watchers and fueled a wave of speculation about their stance.

The visit featured a lavish state banquet and formal ceremonies, with Trump praising Charles and describing the occasion as an honor. In remarks to attendees, Trump called the royal gathering a momentous occasion, praising Charles for raising a “remarkable son” in William and signaling strong traditional ties between the new monarch and the visiting president. The dynamic underscored a stark contrast between the televised pageantry on display and the muted public profile of Harry and Meghan during the events.

A Daily Mail column by Maureen Callahan argued that the silence was, in part, a response to perceived humiliation during the visit and the political optics surrounding the couple’s position in the United States. The piece suggested the decision to stay quiet reflected a broader desire to avoid political backlash or further personal scrutiny, even as the monarchy staged a high-profile public welcome for a U.S. president. Callahan’s column highlighted the tension between the Sussexes’ media profile and the ceremonial expectations of a state visit that is meant to project unity at a delicate moment for the Royal Family.

Meghan, in particular, has faced a series of professional headwinds in the public gaze. Her Netflix series With Love, Meghan, released its second season to a tepid reception, with critics noting a decline in momentum from the series’ debut and some outlets describing the season as underwhelming. The show’s performance and the scaling back of the Sussexes’ deal with the streamer have been cited by observers as contributing factors in a broader reassessment of Meghan’s media strategy.

Harry’s public profile has also shifted. Observers note a reduction in visible, traditional royal duties, and questions about what drives his daily schedule in the United States. A summit with King Charles last week, the first in 19 months, reportedly ran only 54 minutes, underscoring ongoing questions about Harry’s next steps and his role within a shifting family dynamic. In remarks to The Guardian, Harry defended his memoir Spare, saying his conscience is clear and expressing continued optimism about his life in the United States, while acknowledging stress surrounding years of litigation and public scrutiny. He stated that he is “very happy with who I am” and that he has faced “some very stressful events” over the past four years.

The juxtaposition of a gilded royal pageant with the Sussexes’ muted public stance has drawn renewed attention to the couple’s branding and political alignment. Trump’s praise for the monarchy and his characterization of the visit as a personal honor contrasted with the Sussexes’ decision to avoid political commentary, a stance that has remained a core strategy as they navigate a complex media ecosystem in the United States. Analysts say the optics of the weekend—high ceremony for the royals, quiet public posture for the Sussexes—illustrate ongoing tensions between tradition and the increasingly independent media presence the couple has cultivated.

Amid the surrounding attention, the question for observers is how long the silence will persist and what it signals about the Sussexes’ future public role. Netflix and other media partnerships remain in play, yet the public-facing utility of those deals appears to be recalibrated in light of the broader reception to Meghan’s recent projects and Harry’s ongoing media presence in the U.S. The royal household continues with its scheduled events, and the public narrative surrounding the couple’s position—whether they will re-engage with the UK media in a more assertive way or maintain a measured distance—remains unsettled.

For the moment, the royal week in Britain has delivered a display of statecraft and ceremony, while the Sussexes’ silence has become a focal point for debate about influence, loyalty, and the evolving role of former royals in a media-saturated age. As timelines unfold and new interviews or releases appear, the balance between public duty and personal branding will continue to shape how this chapter is understood on the world stage.