Trump praises Charles and William at Windsor banquet, omits Harry

LONDON — At Windsor Castle on Wednesday, during a state banquet, former President Donald Trump delivered remarks praising King Charles III and Prince William while making no mention of Prince Harry, who was not in attendance. In a speech at the dinner, Trump lauded the monarch and the heir to the throne, saying, “His Majesty has also raised a remarkable son in His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales. Really amazing.” He added that the couple is “delighted,” and that he and his wife, Melania, have “gotten to know” William since arriving in England. He told William that he believes the prince is headed toward “an unbelievable success in the future,” and he complimented William’s wife, Catherine, by calling her “so radiant and so healthy [and] so beautiful.” He also praised Charles for helping wounded veterans “like nobody else” and labeled the Prince of Wales as “remarkable” and “amazing.” He concluded by reiterating the sentiment about future success and noting that Middleton was “beautiful.”

Harry, notably, has long worked with wounded veterans, having founded the Invictus Games in 2014. While in Ukraine last week, Prince Harry met with wounded veterans and spoke about doing “everything possible” to help them. Trump, who has criticized Harry and Meghan Markle in the past, also credited Charles with uplifting the poor and caring for rural farmers in his remarks. The former commander-in-chief’s remarks at the banquet did not mention the Duke of Sussex, who was not present.

Trump has repeatedly engaged publicly with the Sussexes in ways that contrasted with royal and veteran-friendly messaging. In March 2020, he said the United States would not pay for the couple’s security when they moved to California, despite the absence of a formal plan to request such support. Two years later, he told Piers Morgan that Harry was “whipped like no person he has ever seen.” When he returned to office in 2024, Trump suggested Harry could be deported over drug-use details in the memoir Spare, saying, “If he lied [on his application], they’ll have to take appropriate action,” and adding that special privileges would not be granted.

Harry, for his part, has continued work with wounded veterans, including Invictus Games-related initiatives. He has long stressed the importance of supporting veterans, a theme that has framed his public engagements even as he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have been the subject of ongoing media attention.

The pageantry at Windsor comes as Trump embarks on a high-profile visit that has drawn attention for interactions with Britain’s royal family and for the broader questions it raises about the former president’s relationship with the U.K. leadership and with the royals at a moment of global political tension. Trump’s remarks at the banquet—praising Charles and William while not acknowledging Harry—fit within a pattern of commentary that has often separated the Sussexes from other members of the royal family in public discourse.

While Harry’s absence from the banquet is noted in coverage of the event, the atmosphere inside the hall appeared focused on the ceremonial exchanges with the king and his heir. The speech did not reference Harry, but it did emphasize the future of the monarchy as seen through William and Kate’s public roles, a thread Trump highlighted in his praise of the Prince and the Princess of Wales.

Trump’s past comments about the Sussexes have shaped the broader context in which Wednesday’s event unfolded. He has previously criticized Harry’s military service and royal duties, and his remarks at Windsor add another layer to a long-running media narrative about the couple’s relationship with Trump and the broader U.S.-U.K. relationship. The former president’s team has not indicated any change in policy toward the royals as a result of the speech, but the remarks underline the ongoing public diplomacy dynamics surrounding the royal family and international observers monitoring Trump’s engagements abroad.