April 24, 2026
Prince Harry’s Ukraine Visit Draws Trump Response "How's his wife?"
A surprise visit by Prince Harry to Ukraine puts him back on the global stage, but his remarks on the war prompt a sharp response from President Donald Trump ahead of King Charles’s Washington trip. Also: scrutiny over Harry’s visa case, analysis of his speechwriting, and Deep Crown on the risks of operating outside the royal framework.
Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening. Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.
A new season of King William is available now.
Our royal newsletter written by Deep Crown is available for free.
Royal Books:
Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story
The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:10.919
Ah Caalarogu Shark Media. He hello and welcome to Palace
2
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:13.839
Intry Ega. I'm your host, Mark Francis, Prince Harry has
3
00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:17.559
made an unannounced return to Ukraine, arriving in Kiev by
4
00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:22.519
overnight train from Poland ahead of a major international security conference.
5
00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:25.879
The Duke used his arrival to draw attention back to
6
00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:30.239
the conflict, which he suggested risks fading from global focus.
7
00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.719
He said, it's good to be back in Ukraine, a
8
00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:36.920
country bravely and successfully defending Europe's eastern flank. It matters
9
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.359
that we don't lose sight of the significance of that.
10
00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:42.880
He added that his aim was to remind people back
11
00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:45.399
home and around the world what Ukraine is up against
12
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:48.920
and to support the people and partners doing extraordinary work
13
00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:53.640
every hour of every day in incredibly tough conditions. Speaking
14
00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.920
at the Kiev Security Forum, Harry framed the war in
15
00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:00.799
broader terms, telling delegates this is a war of values,
16
00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:04.560
not just territory, and warning that the international community must
17
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.719
not become numb to the conflict. Drawing on his own
18
00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:10.719
military background, he said he was attending not here as
19
00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:14.439
a politician, but as a soldier who understands service and
20
00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:18.519
a humanitarian. In his remarks the Jugals who addressed the
21
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:21.879
role of the United States, saying the United States has
22
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:24.719
a singular role in this story, not only because of
23
00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:28.120
its power, but because when Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons,
24
00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:31.519
America was part of the assurance that Ukraine's sovereignty and
25
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.840
borders would be respected. This is a moment for American leadership,
26
00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:38.159
a moment for America to show that it can honour
27
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:41.959
its international treaty obligations, not out of charity, but out
28
00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.959
of its own enduring role in global security and strategic stability.
29
00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:49.560
Harry also issued a direct message regarding the conduct of
30
00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:55.079
Russian forces, describing the abduction of Ukrainian children as systematic
31
00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.439
and intentional and warning that such actions would have consequences
32
00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:02.640
at the Internet National Criminal Court. He is also expected
33
00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.480
to deliver further criticism of Vladimir Putin during the visit.
34
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.240
The trip marks Harry's third visit to the Ukraine since
35
00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:11.919
the war began in twenty twenty two. During this visit,
36
00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.439
he is expected to meet members of the Invictors Games
37
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:17.960
and observe the work of the Halo Trust, the d
38
00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:22.560
mining organization once closely associated with his mother Diana, Princess
39
00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.319
of Wales. He said, I'm looking forward to seeing friends
40
00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:28.719
and reconnecting with the invictor's community again and standing alongside
41
00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:33.400
those helping Ukraine win this fight. Donald Trump has responded
42
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.319
directly to comments made by Prince Harry, saying, Prince Harry,
43
00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:39.479
how's he doing? How's his wife? Please give her my regards.
44
00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:41.680
I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for
45
00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:44.120
the UK, that's for sure. I think I am speaking
46
00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:46.520
for the UK more than Prince Harry. He added that
47
00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.680
he appreciates the Duke's advice very much. The exchange comes
48
00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.120
just days before King Charles is due to travel to
49
00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:55.560
Washington for at state visit where he will meet with
50
00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:58.919
the US President at the White House. Trump described the
51
00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.159
King as a fantastic man and said he was really
52
00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:05.120
looking forward to the visit. In The Royalist, Tom Sykes
53
00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:09.680
suggests Harry's speech was almost certainly largely AI generated, arguing
54
00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:13.560
that its structure and tone resembled content produced by large
55
00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:17.439
language models. He cites feedback from an AI system which
56
00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:20.719
assessed the speech is very likely AI drafted or at
57
00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:25.439
a minimum heavily AI polished, pointing to several telltale features
58
00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.759
Among them was repeated use of rhetorical patterns such as
59
00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:32.520
not just but phrasing, which the analysis claims appeared too
60
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.719
frequently to feel natural. The speech was also said to
61
00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.520
contain what were described as hollow connective lines, phrases that
62
00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:42.879
sound meaningful but add little substance, often used by AI
63
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:47.479
to transition between sections. The column further highlighted a section
64
00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:51.719
referencing the Budapest memorandum as feeling like a generic briefing
65
00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:56.080
inserted into a more emotional speech, creating a tonal mismatch.
66
00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.560
It also noted a lack of personal detail, suggesting the
67
00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:02.960
speech lied more on broad abstract language than on specific
68
00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.639
anecdotes typically used in human speech writing. Another example cited
69
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:11.159
was a direct appeal to Vladimir Putin, which the analysis
70
00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.639
described as abrupt and disconnected from the surrounding narrative, again
71
00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.560
resembling a prompted addition rather than an organically developed moment.
72
00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.279
According to a reporting Radar Online, Harry is facing renewed
73
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.399
scrutiny over the delayed release of his US visa records,
74
00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.439
with critics raising questions about the timing. The issue stems
75
00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:32.160
from a long running legal effort by the Heritage Foundation
76
00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.199
to obtain documents related to the Duke's visa application through
77
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:39.600
a freedom of information case against the U. S State Department.
78
00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:44.160
Campaigners are seeking clarity on whether Harry disclosed passed drug use,
79
00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:46.920
which he wrote about in his memoir Spare, when applying
80
00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:50.079
for entry into the US. In a recent court filing,
81
00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.000
officials confirmed they had missed a March deadline to release
82
00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.199
the documents, and have now pushed the next update to
83
00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.800
at least mid June. That revised timeline comes after the
84
00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:01.920
planned state visit of Cas Charles the Third to Washington.
85
00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:05.639
The delay has prompted speculation from critics. One source told
86
00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:08.279
Radar Online there is a perception that this has all
87
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:11.040
the hallmarks of a cover up, while another added it
88
00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.399
raises the question of whether the system is bending to
89
00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:17.199
protect a high profile individual at a politically sensitive moment.
90
00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:20.639
Legal observers cited in the report that the disclosures of
91
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:25.040
past drug use can trigger additional scrutiny after US immigration rules,
92
00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:28.759
which is why the case is drawn wider attention. However,
93
00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:32.959
US officials have rejected suggestions of impropriety, stating that the
94
00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.040
delay is administrative and linked to the complexity of reviewing
95
00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.319
a large volume of material in filings. The State Department
96
00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:42.560
said it is processing hundreds of records across multiple offices
97
00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:46.040
and will release documents as soon as possible. The timing
98
00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.639
has also drawn attention because of its overlap with King
99
00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:56.519
charles upcoming visit. More palacing just a moment in his
100
00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:00.759
sub stack royal insider deep Crown Rights. Duke of Sussex
101
00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:04.560
now operates entirely outside any institutional framework that might have
102
00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:07.240
a view on timing. There is no one in his
103
00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.560
orbit whose job it is to pick up the telephone
104
00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.319
and say quietly that perhaps this particular week, given this centenary,
105
00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:16.399
given the King's address, given the carefully managed tone of
106
00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:19.199
the past several days, might not be the optimal moment
107
00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:21.519
for a surprise arrival in a war zone that will
108
00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:26.720
inevitably generate significant press coverage and an inevitable confrontation with
109
00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:30.600
the American President. There is no coordination. There cannot be,
110
00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.360
because Harry is no longer part of the apparatus that
111
00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:36.879
coordinates these things. He made that choice, and one respects
112
00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:39.399
that he made it, But the consequences of that choice
113
00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:43.160
are not only personal, they ripple. The Trump intervention is
114
00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:47.360
worth examining on its own terms because it is genuinely peculiar.
115
00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:50.519
The President of the United States, responding to a speech
116
00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:54.040
by a private British citizen at a security forum in Kiev,
117
00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:56.879
felt moved to assert that he speaks for Britain more
118
00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:00.040
than that citizen does. Harry, to his credit as a
119
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.079
claim to speak for Britain, he was careful about that.
120
00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:04.279
He said he was not there as a politician, but
121
00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:08.920
as a soldier who understands service and a humanitarian. The
122
00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:11.959
Trump response was therefore not a rebuttal of something Harry said.
123
00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:15.839
It was an insertion and unsolicited editorial, and it had
124
00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:18.319
the effect of turning a story about Ukraine and values
125
00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:21.519
and international treaty obligations into a story about Harry and
126
00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:24.879
Trump and the question of British representation. Who benefits from
127
00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.600
that story not the institution, not the King, who is
128
00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:30.839
at this precise moment attempting to manage a delicate diplomatic
129
00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.399
relationship with Washington while conducting a state visit. Not the
130
00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:38.920
coherent centenary narrative that the Palace spent considerable effort constructing
131
00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.000
this week, The story that ran alongside the King's moving
132
00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.000
tribute to his mother in several outlets, was Trump says
133
00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.279
he speaks for UK more than Harry. That is not
134
00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:51.040
ideal sequencing. But here is the difficulty. Harry is no
135
00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:54.040
longer a working royal, which means he has no institutional support,
136
00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:58.480
no coordinative brief, no apparatus managing the context in which
137
00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.199
his actions land. He is also not quite a private citizen,
138
00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:04.319
because no one treats him as one, at least of
139
00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:07.319
all the present, least of all the American President. He
140
00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:10.199
exists in the category that the institution has never had
141
00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:13.639
to manage before. A senior royal by birth and background
142
00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.800
has formally removed himself from the structure, but who continues
143
00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.879
to generate royal scale coverage and royal scale diplomatic consequences.
144
00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:24.519
The Palace cannot coordinate with him, he apparently does not
145
00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:28.600
coordinate with them, and so things land where they land.
146
00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:32.519
And there you have it. You can get more on
147
00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:37.240
Deep Ground on his substack. Just search for Deep Grown
148
00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:42.279
on Google or search substack for Deep Crown. Please follow
149
00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.559
us on Spotify, Apple, or the app of your choice.
150
00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.720
I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is
151
00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:48.639
palace intrigue in good terms.
1
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:10.919
2
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:13.839
3
00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:17.559
4
00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:22.519
5
00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:25.879
6
00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:30.239
7
00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.719
8
00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:36.920
9
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.359
10
00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:42.880
11
00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:45.399
12
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:48.920
13
00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:53.640
14
00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.920
15
00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:00.799
16
00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:04.560
17
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.719
18
00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:10.719
19
00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:14.439
20
00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:18.519
21
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:21.879
22
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:24.719
23
00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:28.120
24
00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:31.519
25
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.840
26
00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:38.159
27
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:41.959
28
00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.959
29
00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:49.560
30
00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:55.079
31
00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.439
32
00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:02.640
33
00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.480
34
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.240
35
00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:11.919
36
00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.439
37
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:17.960
38
00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:22.560
39
00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.319
40
00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:28.719
41
00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:33.400
42
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.319
43
00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:39.479
44
00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:41.680
45
00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:44.120
46
00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:46.520
47
00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.680
48
00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.120
49
00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:55.560
50
00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:58.919
51
00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.159
52
00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:05.120
53
00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:09.680
54
00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:13.560
55
00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:17.439
56
00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:20.719
57
00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:25.439
58
00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.759
59
00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:32.520
60
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.719
61
00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.520
62
00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:42.879
63
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:47.479
64
00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:51.719
65
00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:56.080
66
00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.560
67
00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:02.960
68
00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.639
69
00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:11.159
70
00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.639
71
00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.560
72
00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.279
73
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.399
74
00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.439
75
00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:32.160
76
00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.199
77
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:39.600
78
00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:44.160
79
00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:46.920
80
00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:50.079
81
00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.000
82
00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.199
83
00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.800
84
00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:01.920
85
00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:05.639
86
00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:08.279
87
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:11.040
88
00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.399
89
00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:17.199
90
00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:20.639
91
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:25.040
92
00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:28.759
93
00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:32.959
94
00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.040
95
00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.319
96
00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:42.560
97
00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:46.040
98
00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.639
99
00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:56.519
100
00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:00.759
101
00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:04.560
102
00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:07.240
103
00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.560
104
00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.319
105
00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:16.399
106
00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:19.199
107
00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:21.519
108
00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:26.720
109
00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:30.600
110
00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.360
111
00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:36.879
112
00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:39.399
113
00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:43.160
114
00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:47.360
115
00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:50.519
116
00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:54.040
117
00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:56.879
118
00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:00.040
119
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.079
120
00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:04.279
121
00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:08.920
122
00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:11.959
123
00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:15.839
124
00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:18.319
125
00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:21.519
126
00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:24.879
127
00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.600
128
00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:30.839
129
00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.399
130
00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:38.920
131
00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.000
132
00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.000
133
00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.279
134
00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:51.040
135
00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:54.040
136
00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:58.480
137
00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.199
138
00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:04.319
139
00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:07.319
140
00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:10.199
141
00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:13.639
142
00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.800
143
00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.879
144
00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:24.519
145
00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:28.600
146
00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:32.519
147
00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:37.240
148
00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:42.279
149
00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:44.559
150
00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.720
151
00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:48.639
