US President Donald Trump has made comments that might have upset Prince Harry, especially because they targeted a country close to the Duke’s heart: Lesotho.
During a speech to Congress, Trump criticized US funding for LGBTQI+ programs in Lesotho, calling it a waste of money. He even joked, “Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of.” This remark drew laughter from some Republican lawmakers but left the Lesotho government “shocked and embarrassed.” Lesotho’s foreign minister said they didn’t expect a world leader to speak about their country in such a disrespectful way.
Prince Harry has a strong connection to Lesotho. He first visited the country in 2004 during his gap year and has returned many times since. He is close friends with Prince Seeiso, the brother of Lesotho’s King Letsie III. Together, they founded a charity called Sentebale in 2006, which helps young people affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho. Like the UK, Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy, meaning it has a royal family but is run by an elected government.
This isn’t the first time Trump has caused tension with Prince Harry. Last year, Trump suggested he might take action if it was found that Harry lied on his US visa application about past drug use. However, there’s no evidence that Harry did this. Trump later said he wouldn’t deport Harry but took a jab at Meghan Markle, calling her “terrible” and saying Harry had “enough problems with his wife.”
Despite the tension, King Charles recently invited Trump to visit the UK later this year. This is a rare second state visit invitation for an American president. Trump accepted, calling it an “honor” and praising King Charles as a “wonderful man.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally delivered the invitation to Trump in the Oval Office.
Just hours after the invitation was delivered, Prince Harry appeared to criticize Trump during a speech in Los Angeles. He talked about how leaders who prioritize power over empathy can harm billions of people. While he didn’t mention Trump by name, his comments seemed aimed at leaders like the former president. Harry said, “When service to others is sacrificed for personal gain… when basic morals and empathy are abandoned in favor of power and control… it has a detrimental effect on millions, if not billions, of people.”
Trump has often expressed admiration for the British royal family, especially the late Queen Elizabeth II. He criticized Harry and Meghan for being “disrespectful” to the Queen when they stepped back from royal duties. Trump said, “I think they broke her heart. The things they were saying were so bad, and she was in her 90s hearing this stuff. I think they hurt her bad.”
