Prince Harry has been living in the US with his wife, Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet since 2020. As the Duke of Sussex isn’t a US citizen, he had to apply for a visa to legally live there.
Discover our latest podcast
It has been four years since Prince Harry moved, and he still hasn’t applied for US citizenship, which is something he admitted he is considering. It is believed that Prince Harry will soon need to renew his visa, and he may need King Charles’ help.
As many know, Prince Harry is facing some trouble concerning his visa after he admitted to taking drugs in his memoir Spare. The Heritage Foundation filed a lawsuit to have his visa application made public to see if he lied. But President Joe Biden is fighting to keep his application private.
Prince Harry’s ordeal with his visa
As mentioned above, Prince Harry is in a legal battle concerning his visa application from when he first moved to the US. Indeed, one of the requirements is to declare if one has taken drugs before.
In his memoir Spare, which was published in January 2023, Prince Harry admitted to taking cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms, according to The Telegraph. As a result, the Heritage Foundation launched a lawsuit to have the details of Harry’s visa application made public.
As per The Telegraph, taking drugs isn’t grounds for automatic refusal of entry to the US, but lying about it can lead to a person’s application being denied. As reported by OK!, a judge is currently examining the case and it is expected a verdict will be made in the coming weeks.
This whole situation could prove difficult for Prince Harry. If the verdict doesn’t sway Prince Harry’s way and it is proved he lied on his application, the Duke of Sussex could be deported from the US.
Moreover, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun that depending on the outcome of the trial, it could be PR disaster for Prince Harry.
The fact of the matter is that it will be very embarrassing, or may be very embarrassing.
Adding:
Harry may have included drug use on his application form. If he hasn't, it will unquestionably make headlines, and that will not be beneficial so far as the Sussexes are concerned.
However, President Joe Biden’s administration is fighting hard to keep Prince Harry’s visa application details sealed.
President Joe Biden is fighting for Prince Harry
As reported by The Telegraph, President Joe Biden has ‘pleaded’ with a court to keep Prince Harry’s visa application private. The Department of Homeland Security’s lawyers claimed there would be a ‘stigma attached’ if the documents were made public.
During the hearing, which took place in February 2023, the court challenged the Department of Homeland Security’s justification for not publishing Prince Harry’s records. The lawyer, John Bado argued, as per The Telegraph:
Many of these records, your honour, are law enforcement records. So there is a stigma associated with being mentioned in a law enforcement record.
Bado added that the government has previously mentioned that public figures ‘still maintain their privacy interests’.
The government has cited multiple cases in its brief about the private nature of immigration records and about the fact that people who are public figures still maintain their privacy interests.
As Biden’s administration defends Prince Harry, it is interesting to have a look at what kind of relationship the two have with each other.
What kind of relationship does Prince Harry have with the Bidens?
According to Elle, Prince Harry has known Dr Jill Biden for some years now. Indeed, both Prince Harry and Dr Jill Biden are passionate about supporting the military and their families. In 2011, Dr Jill Biden founded the Joining Forces initiative with Michelle Obama.
Dr Jill Biden has also been a big supporter of Prince Harry’s work for the military community since their first meeting in 2013. As per Elle, Prince Harry often jokes that he got the idea for the Invictus Games thanks to Beau Biden - Jill’s stepson - from watching sick service members and veterans compete in the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado.
When the Duke of Sussex launched his Invictus Games in 2014, Dr Jill Biden attended the games which took place in London. The following year, Prince Harry visited Washington, where he joined First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden at an event supporting troops and to gain support for his second Invictus Games which were in Orlando.
In 2016, both Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden joined Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Orlando and again in 2017 when the event was held in Toronto—which is when Prince Harry made his first public appearance with Meghan Markle as his girlfriend.
Royal reporter comments on their relationship
Moreover, royal reporter, Kinsey Schofield spoke with GB News and explained that the Bidens have generally been kind towards the Sussexes. She mentions that they were kind to them after the bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and the fact that they used to attend the Invictus Games.
She also adds that more recently, President Joe Biden has talked about how important the Invictus Games are. She believes that the Bidens have a ‘soft spot’ for Prince Harry and Meghan.
Kinsey Schofield goes on to explain that if President Joe Biden is re-elected, then Prince Harry won’t have to worry and he will continue to be ‘protected in the US’.
Read more:
⋙ Joe and Jill Biden' joint tax return: This is how the presidential couple earned over $600K in 2023
⋙ Prince Harry: Department of Homeland Security facing calls to make royal’s visa application public
Sources used:
OK!: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'risk losing £12m Montecito home'
The Sun: ‘BURN BRIDGES’ Harry made key mistake & risks throwing away his dream life in £12m Montecito mansion with Meghan for good, warns expert
Elle: ‘Inside Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's Relationship With President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris’
The Telegraph: ‘Biden administration pleads with court to keep Prince Harry’s visa document under wraps’
Youtube: ‘What is Harry 'hiding?': Biden's 'soft spot' EXPOSED as President pleads for Visa document privacy’
