King Charles and President Trump ‘Have Become Good Friends,’ Routinely Have ‘Private Conversations’

After learning he may be distantly related to King Charles III, President Donald Trump could barely contain his delight. Reacting on Truth Social to a genealogical report from the Daily Mail that claimed he and the monarch are 15th cousins, Trump wrote on April 28, “Wow, that’s nice. I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!” before adding, “I’ll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!” — a boast he was in the rare position to make as Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, were at the White House amid a four-day U.S. state visit celebrating 250 years of American independence.

The 79-year-old has long been enamored of Britain’s royal family, and over the past year — despite repeatedly taking aim at the U.S./U.K. alliance — he has spoken glowingly about Charles, describing him as a “fantastic man,” a “very elegant man” and a “longtime friend.” And Star has learned the king may now be leaning on that friendship for something far more delicate than ceremonial diplomacy: solving his Prince Harry problem. “The king and the president have become good friends at this point and routinely share private conversations about matters that are close to their hearts,” a source tells Star. “This trip provided them with the opportunity to do just that about a number of matters, including Charles’ difficult situation with Harry.”

The Plot Thickens

According to the source, Charles confessed how deeply his family’s ongoing estrangement with the Duke of Sussex, 41, pains him and made clear that, two years after he was diagnosed with cancer, he wants to see his second-born return to England — even if getting him there may require an extraordinary intervention. “They talked about it, agreeing it’s the elephant in the room that needs to be addressed before things slide any further out of hand,” says the source. “Charles laid it all on the table.”

One possibility that was raised, the source claims, is the prospect of Harry being pushed out of the U.S. if renewed scrutiny over his immigration status were to trigger legal consequences such as deportation — a brutal but effective scenario that could force the California-based prince back onto British soil. (A rep for Harry and wife Meghan denies Star‘s story.)

From Charles’ point of view, the scenario would solve several problems at once, from bringing Harry physically closer at a time when the king’s health remains a concern, to removing direct blame by making any return look forced instead of negotiated. “If he were to be deported… it would actually be the ideal situation from the royals’ point of view,” says the source, adding that even Harry’s estranged older brother, 43, couldn’t object. “If it happens this way nobody, even Prince William, can argue because it’s a situation that’s been forced on the family. Plus, if it gets Harry away from Meghan, that’s the ultimate win.”

Charles may have a willing ally. Trump’s made no secret of his disdain for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In a 2022 interview with Piers Morgan, Trump blasted Harry as weak and controlled by his wife, 44. “Harry is whipped like no person I think I’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “I’m not a fan of Meghan, I’m not a fan, and I wasn’t right from the beginning. I think poor Harry is being led around by his nose.”

He predicted the marriage would “end, and it’ll end bad,” adding, “I wonder if Harry’s going to go back on his hands and knees.” The president’s rhetoric intensified after Harry became embroiled in questions over his U.S. immigration status. In 2023, conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation sued the Department of Homeland Security demanding to know if Harry’s visa application disclosed his past use of illegal drugs like magic mushrooms, cocaine and ayahuasca, which he detailed in his 2023 memoir, Spare. (Nondisclosure can lead to deportation.) Though a judge terminated the case in 2024, ruling Harry’s “privacy interest outweighs any public interest” in his immigration paperwork, the issue flared up again in March 2025 when a judge ordered portions of Harry’s files released, renewing speculation that the issue could still come back to haunt the prince.

In February 2025, the president seemed to waver on the issue, however. “I don’t want to do that,” Trump said when asked about deporting Harry, according to The New York Post. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.” Still, according to an April 30 report from Daily Mail columnist Richard Eden, Trump recently made an “interesting comment” to a British visitor when the subject of Harry came up, asking, “Can you take him back?”

Harry’s Hurt

Harry was forced to watch from afar as his father earned multiple standing ovations when he delivered a humor-peppered and surprisingly political speech to Congress April 28. The monarch delicately challenged his friend the president, stressing that executive authority must remain subject to checks and balances. Charles also voiced support for NATO despite Trump’s repeated attacks on the alliance and appealed for continued protection of Ukraine. Notably, his comments echoed positions voiced by Harry during his visit to the Kyiv Security Forum days earlier on April 23.

According to the Daily Mail‘s Eden, both Charles and the Duke of Sussex received guidance from Yvette Cooper, the U.K.’s foreign secretary, ahead of their respective trips. Eden further claimed Cooper is among the officials quietly supporting a behind-the-scenes push to bring Harry back into public life in Britain — an effort the U.K. press has dubbed “Project Thaw.” Yet despite the apparent alignment in messaging, father and son had no private reunion on U.S. soil, a disappointment considering they finally ended more than 18 months of estrangement with a face-to-face meeting in London last September. The king’s long-planned visit to D.C., New York City and Virginia didn’t leave room for a detour with its packed schedule. “Harry is absolutely desperate to make peace with Charles,” says the insider. “He’s trying to be understanding about not seeing him, but it still hurt him a great deal.”

The Clock is Ticking

Despite all the turmoil, Harry’s made it clear he hasn’t shut the door on his old life. In a candid May 2025 BBC interview, he admitted, “I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious.” And during an April 24 ITV interview in Ukraine, he bristled when asked whether “not a working royal” was an accurate description for him six years after he and Meghan left Britain. “No. I will always be part of the royal family,” he replied, insisting he loves and remains devoted to public service. “I am here working, doing the things that I was born to do.”

Charles, it appears, wants more than that, hence his secret confab with Trump. “This is the king’s way of getting his son back,” says the source — without looking like the villain. An insider believes Charles has a narrow timetable in mind to test just how serious Harry is about proving he’s still part of the royal family — roughly 90 days, which would mean a summer return to Britain. (Either way, Harry is likely to travel to Birmingham, England, this summer for the one-year countdown to his beloved Invictus Games for wounded vets.) The king, warns the insider, believes the current limbo can’t go on indefinitely, and if Harry fails to show he’s serious about rebuilding ties now, he could lose not only momentum with his father but undo any strides he’s already made. Harry, the insider notes, “seems determined not to…derail the fragile progress he’s made.”

Caught in the Crossfire

Not everyone wants a thaw. The stance taken by William “has not changed,” says the insider. “He’s told Charles time and again that Harry’s title needs to be taken away and that the family needs a clean, proper break. It’s put Charles in a terrible position to be caught between his children.”

Across the Atlantic, Meghan, mom to Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 4, would be unlikely to surrender quietly. “It would be the worst possible scenario,” says the insider of any forced removal. “She would do everything in her power to fight it.” She’s supported Harry’s efforts to reconnect with his father, but as Star previously reported, she’s long feared that any return to the U.K. would risk reopening the same wounds that drove the Sussexes out in 2020. “Ultimately,” adds the insider, “it wouldn’t be her decision, and she knows it.”