Prince Harry is a “sticky situation” after he “boxed himself into a tight corner,” a royal expert has claimed.
It comes after a conservative US think tank, the Heritage Foundation, accused the Duke of Sussex of either lying regarding his past drug usage – something he admitted in his memoir Spare – or of benefiting unfairly from special privileges accorded by the US government.
Individuals applying for a US immigration visa must disclose any prior history of drug use. The Heritage Foundation has launched legal action against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to obtain Harry’s immigration records.
Royal expert Jennie Bond has said the case could potentially cause an awkward fallout for Prince Harry.
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Speaking to OK! magazine, she said: “This is a sticky situation for Harry to find himself in. There seem to be only three possible conclusions: he lied in his visa application, he lied in his book, or he has been made a special case by the American authorities. All of these signal an embarrassing outcome for Harry.
“I suspect a way will be found to preserve his reputation and his visa, but he does seem to have boxed himself into a tight corner. Given the prevalence of drugs, I don’t imagine for a moment that Harry’s application is unusual (assuming he denied drugs).”
Bond, the seasoned Royal correspondent of the BBC for 14 years, added: “I hope they don’t succeed in making an example of him just because of who he is. He has found love and happiness and freedom in the States. I hope he can continue to enjoy it.”
This follows recent revelations that Prince Harry has officially changed his listed country of residence from the United Kingdom to the United States on the back of his 2020 relocation to California with Meghan Markle.
The Duke of Sussex, currently 39 years old, filed notice of this change within documents related to his eco-tourism project, Travalyst. The move was retroactively effective from June 2023, which corresponds to the period when both Meghan and he were officially asked to leave Frogmore Cottage, their former abode.
Observers lean towards interpreting this as an indication of his intention to ‘move on’ from the Royal family. This development has also led to conjecture around his future relationship with familial ties and his bond with his homeland.
In a prior interview with Good Morning America, Harry was quizzed about whether he’d contemplate applying for American citizenship. Will Reeve, the host of the show, asked him: “Do you feel American? ” Harry echoed the question before responding with a curt “No.”
“I don’t know how I feel,” he expanded further. When pushed on what would dissuade him from taking up American citizenship, he responded: “I have no idea. I’m here standing next to these guys. The American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind, but certainly not something that is a priority for me right now.”
