By Adela Suliman - NBC News
President Donald Trump attacked Meghan Markle at her press conference on Wednesday after the Duchess of Sussex urged fellow Americans to vote in the upcoming presidential election on November 3.
"I'm not a fan of hers ... and she's probably already heard that, but
I wish Harry the best of luck, he'll need it
," Trump said at a White House news conference.
The president's comments came after Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, released a video where the Duchess stated that every four years it is emphasized that the presidential elections are "the most important elections of our lives."
"But these are," he said, referring to the November vote.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: What Could Cause Your Separation from the British Royal Family?
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While Harry and Meghan urged Americans to go to the polls, they
did not explicitly name or endorse Donald Trump or the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden
, but some have interpreted their comments as criticism of the current president.
"As we approach November, it is vital that we reject hate speech, misinformation and negativity on social media,"
said Harry, who now lives in California with his wife.
[Harry and Meghan respond to Trump: they don't need his help to move to California]
The Duke of Sussex, who is not a US citizen, also noted that he has never voted in the UK, because royalty is expected to be politically neutral.
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The front pages of British tabloids dawned on Thursday with images of the royal couple after
Buckingham Palace seemed to distance itself from their comments, and made it clear that the couple are no longer royalty
and that Harry was speaking in a personal capacity.
[Meghan Markle felt "unprotected" by the royal family during pregnancy, according to court documents]
In the past, Prince Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, has encouraged the British to exercise their right to vote in the United Kingdom.
Harry and Meghan caused a stir when they announced that they were resigning their royal duties
and that they had plans to split their time between North America and Britain.
When Harry married the former actress in May 2018, their wedding was heralded as a path to modernity in the British monarchy, and helped make them one of the most famous couples in the world.
First images of Harry arriving in Canada to meet with Meghan and Archie
Jan. 21, 2020
Although their January announcement came as a surprise, it was no secret that
the couple felt the strain of the constant barrage of media attention and endless negative headlines
.
[Queen Elizabeth II: "My family and I fully support Harry and Meghan's wish"]
Still, the couple's struggles with the media have followed them across the Atlantic.
In July they filed an invasion of privacy lawsuit against unidentified paparazzi, accusing the photographers of resorting to harsh measures to obtain images of themselves and their son Archie at their California home.
