Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Prince Harry arriving at High Court in June 2023© Getty

Decision reached on Prince Harry's Visa application after shock revelations in memoir Spare

The Duke of Sussex moved to the US in 2020…

September 24, 2024
Share this:

Prince Harry's US visa application will remain sealed a court judge ruled on Monday  just hours after the Duke delivered a powerful speech at a UN climate event in New York. 

The Duke of Sussex previously revealed he took drugs in his bombshell memoir Spare, released back in January, which prompted a Washington conservative think tank to question his eligibility to enter the US in 2020. 

Harry and Meghan in Ireland© Getty
Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020

Now, US judge Carl Nichols has ruled that Harry's application will remain sealed as "the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the Duke’s immigration records".

His judgment added: "Like any foreign national, the duke has a legitimate privacy interest in his immigration status.

"And the Duke’s public statements about his travel and drug use did not disclose, and therefore did not eliminate his interest in keeping private, specific information regarding his immigration status, applications, or other materials."

The Heritage Foundation brought the lawsuit against the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) after a Freedom of Information Act request was rejected, with the think tank claiming it was of "immense public interest".

WATCH: Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito home

Judge Nichols went on to say the public’s interest in the disclosure of Harry’s immigration records is "outweighed by the Duke’s privacy interest".

In Spare, Harry wrote that he tried cocaine which "didn’t do anything for me", adding: "Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me."

The Heritage Foundation’s lawsuit argued that US law "generally renders such a person inadmissible for entry" to the country.

LISTEN: A Right Royal Podcast

The think tank also said answers on the Duke’s prior drug use in his visa application should have been disclosed as they could raise questions over the US government’s integrity.

The submissions made by lawyer John Bardo on behalf of DHS also said no "publicly available information, shows that Prince Harry was ever convicted for a drug-related offence".

Mr Bardo added that any suggestion from the Heritage Foundation of wrongdoing on behalf of the US government was "purely speculative".

LOVE THE ROYALS? JOIN THE CLUB!

Princess Kate wearing black and white polka dots and a hat

If you are reading this, the chances are you are obsessed with the royals – which is just as well because so are we! So obsessed, in fact, we’ve launched a club solely dedicated to covering them. So welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club. We would love you to join us there…

What is it?

Interactive community offering behind-the-scenes access, exclusive royal interviews, unmissable royal insights, and an illustrious royal Inner Circle.

Member benefits

  • Two weekly newsletters, one from Emily Nash
  • Video posts and audio notes from Emily Nash and the HELLO! Royal team
  • Access to our royal community and opportunity to interact with club writers and members
  • Participation in polls, comments and discussion threads
  • Royal-themed puzzles with a weekly prize to be won
  • Access to our Ask Me Anything sessions with our journalists
  • Invitations to in-person and virtual events
  • A subscription to the digital edition of HELLO! Magazine (Worth £82 annually)*
  • Future ‘Inner Circle’ benefits

By royal decree

You are royally invited to join The HELLO! Royal Club – and then to go forth and spread the word to your fellow royal fans. See you in the club!

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more