Donald Trump won the 2024 US Presidential election in a far more comfortable fashion than what was expected by many pollsters.
The New York-born billionaire clinched vital victories in Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to seal a historic victory.
He is also expected to come out on top in the popular vote, something he did not achieve in his 2016 victory over Hilary Clinton.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have watched the election results closely and may have been hoping Kamala Harris could become the first-ever female President of the US due to their less-than-ideal relationship with Trump.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have watched the election results closely due to their less-than-ideal relationship with Trump.
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Before the Duchess of Sussex was introduced to Prince Harry, she publicly criticised Donald Trump in the build-up to the 2016 election.
Meghan said the prospect of Trump becoming President left her feeling like considering staying in Canada, and just months later she met Prince Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the US in 2020 and settled in California, which is a state that historically votes for the Democrats, while Trump was still President.
Months later as the 2020 Presidential election approached, Meghan and Harry called on the public to vote and “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity” in what was interpreted as a swipe at Trump.
The Duchess of Sussex added that the election was “the most important election of our lifetime”.
Before the Duchess of Sussex was introduced to Prince Harry, she publicly criticised Donald Trump in the build-up to the 2016 election.
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Donald Trump hit out at Meghan in September of that year, saying he was “not a fan of hers” before adding Prince Harry “was going to need” a lot of luck.
The feud continued to bubble away after the 2020 election and three years later during a world-exclusive interview with GB News, Trump made his feelings clear on the Duchess of Sussex.
He criticised Meghan for ‘disrespecting” the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Trump told GB News: “I think she [Meghan] has been very disrespectful to the Queen. How can you be so disrespectful to the Queen?
“She was incredible, for decades and decades she never made a mistake. I cannot think of a mistake she made, she was never controversial.”
He continued: “She went through years and decades without controversy. You cannot be disrespectful to her and I think Meghan was very disrespectful to her, very disrespectful.”
Donald Trump criticised Meghan for ‘disrespecting” the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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This year in another exclusive GB News interview, Donald’s son Eric Trump branded the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as “spoiled apples”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did issue a rallying call ahead of the 2024 election but crucially, chose not to endorse a candidate or imply support for either the Democrats or the Republicans.
Instead, the royal couple called on the American people to register to vote and have their say in the upcoming election.
Over the last 18 months, Prince Harry’s US visa has been at the centre of a court case.
The Duke of Sussex admitted in his autobiography, published in 2023, to taking drugs including cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms.
The Duke of Sussex admitted in his autobiography, published in 2023, to taking drugs including cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms.
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A conservative think tank called The Heritage Foundation has been battling against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a bid to get the Duke of Sussex’s visa records made public.
The case in Washington DC challenged the Biden Administration to disclose its dossier on Prince Harry under freedom of information laws.
The think tank questioned how Prince Harry was able to move to the United States after admitting to drug use in his memoir, Spare.
Visa applicants are legally required to declare drug use and failure to do so can lead to deportation.
However, despite the ongoing feud between the Sussexes and Trumps, Harry will not need to worry about further developments in his case after two sealed orders and a sealed “memorandum opinion” were filed, effectively closing the case.
Eric Trump confirmed his father has no intention of revisiting the US visa row.
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Eric Trump confirmed his father has no intention of revisiting the US visa row, putting an end to any fears of Harry being at risk of deportation, saying: “I don’t give a damn if he (Harry) did drugs. It means nothing.
“I can tell you that our father and our entire family has tremendous respect for the monarchy.”
He continued: “We’ve known the King forever. In fact, I was just digging through a photo album not too long ago and I came across a picture of him with my father, I’m six years old in the lobby of Mar-a-Lago.”
However, Trump’s second son did take the opportunity to make a couple of public digs at the Sussexes, saying Harry “is, led by a wife that is pretty unpopular, both here and over where you are (the UK).”
Eric added that the Duke of Sussex appeared to “have gone off the deep end and it’s sad to watch.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may come in for further criticism from Donald Trump over the next few years, but from the comfort of their mansion in California.
Trump’s eagerness to retain ties with senior members of the Royal Family remains and a reunion with King Charles, who was still the Prince of Wales during his last tenure as President of the US, may be in his diary soon.