Don Lemon did not hold back after reports surfaced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be preparing to return to the UK with their children.
The former CNN anchor shared his reaction on Instagram on Wednesday night, using the moment to take a pointed and mocking swipe at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Lemon, 60, opened the video by referencing a New York Times article carrying the headline: “Harry and Meghan Will Move Back to Britain After 6 Years in U.S.”
“What? What is going on here?” the outspoken commentator said in disbelief.
He then revisited the couple’s highly publicized break with royal life, saying: “After all that consternation, after all that stuff y’all put us through, the Oprah interview, all that. Oh, my God, ‘What color is the baby going to be behind the ears in the royal family?’” His comment appeared to refer to the Sussexes’ claim that a member of the royal family had raised concerns about how dark their unborn child’s skin might be.
Lemon, who last month said he was considering a presidential run, went on to read from the article: “‘Prince Harry, his wife Meghan and their children are moving back to Britain.’ That’s what folks are saying. They’re enrolling their kids. They had a… I guess they repaired stuff.”
Don Lemon reacted strongly to reports claiming Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to relocate back to the UK with their children
“After all that consternation, after all that stuff y’all put us through, the Oprah interview, all that,” Lemon said of the Sussexes, pictured on August 7, in an Instagram video posted Wednesday
‘Look, I’m rooting for y’all. The interracial of it all, I get it. I’m rooting for y’all, but come on make up y’all’s mind. Good luck. Whatever,’ he said.
‘Oh, and by the way. Another thing. I predicted that this would happen. Now I thought that they may separate and then he would go back. But there’s a twist. They’re both going back now.
‘Ooh, that’s kinda… that’s gonna be a little bit of drama. I wanna know what Kate’s gonna say. Is it gonna be kissy kissy huggy hug or shady mcshade? The latter, I’m sure,’ Lemon concluded.
Fans were surprised by Lemon’s take on the situation and even defended the Sussexes.
‘Kids deserve to know their grandfather and cousins….,’ one wrote.
‘Family is family. They may have wealth but they experience the same things that all families go through. You fall out you make up. Good for them,’ another said in Prince Harry and Meghan’s defense.
‘Perhaps his Father, the King, has a life threatening disease and they have decided to make peace while there’s time so the King can get to know his grandchildren & vice versa. Just a thought,’ a fourth chimed in.
‘The dad is probably very sick and Harry wants to be close to him,’ yet another Instagram user commented.
The media personality’s rant referred to the Sussexes’ claim during THAT interview with Oprah Winfrey that a member of the royal family expressed concern about how dark their unborn baby’s skin might be when he was born
Fans were surprised by Lemon’s take on the situation and even defended the Sussexes with one writing, ‘Kids deserve to know their grandfather and cousins….,’ and another echoing, ‘Family is family’; Prince Harry is seen with his father in London in April 2019
Others were more critical of the Sussexes with one sharing: ‘What happened to all the reasons they left?’
‘They ran out of $$$,’ another deadpanned.
‘She thought she would be a celebrity. The American Diana well that didn’t work,’ wrote another.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit royal duties in 2019 to start a new life in California, where they reside with children Prince Archie, seven, and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, but they are now planning a shock relocation back to Great Britain in the next few weeks.
The Sussexes will be moving to a private, non-royal residence believed to be outside of London, and the young prince and princess will be starting school nearby in September.
Although the family met with King Charles at Highgrove last month, the move wasn’t discussed and he was said to have been informed on Sunday.
The Daily Mail has reported the monarch welcomes the chance to see his youngest son and his family in a personal capacity.
However, the king was clear the couple’s status as private citizens and non-working royals will remain unchanged, according to their previous wishes.
‘I wanna know what Kate’s gonna say. Is it gonna be kissy kissy huggy hug or shady mcshade? The latter, I’m sure,’ Lemon concluded in his video; the Waleses and the Sussexes are seen walking outside Windsor Castle after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022
Lemon was fired from CNN in April 2023 following a series of headline-making controversies including on-air remarks about a female political candidate’s not being in her ‘prime’ and behavior towards colleagues
Harry’s estranged brother, Prince William, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales have also been informed about the move.
Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements have not been disclosed, but there have been no announcements of any change, despite the prince’s previous claim he didn’t feel his family were safe in the UK without police protection.
Sources claimed the family will stay in the UK for an extended period while maintaining their home in Montecito, California, and their other property in Portugal, which they bought in 2023.
And Meghan will continue running her lifestyle brand As Ever from the UK.
