As dawn breaks in the US and the election picture becomes clear, many things remain uncertain in the wake of a second Trump presidency – including the British prince’s visa arrangements.
Prince Harry, who moved to the United States with Meghan Markle in 2020, is now a confirmed US resident with paperwork filed in April showing the Duke “usually resides in the country” with his wife and children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
However, during a long and increasingly heated primary and presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the President-elect of the United States of America said he would take “appropriate action” on Harry’s visa status if elected. He has also slammed the Duke of Sussex, slamming him for the “unforgivable betrayal” of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The row over Harry’s status came after the duke admitted in his memoir, Spare, that he had used drugs in the past. To apply for a US visa, applicants must disclose any previous cases of drug use.
Although it is not known how the duke completed his visa application, Trump publicly stated earlier this year that Harry would not receive any “special privilege” if it emerged that he had omitted previous drug use from his visa statements.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the US in 2020 after stepping down as British royals – but now that Trump is the President-elect of the United States, what will happen to Harry’s visa status?
Speaking to reformist MP and GB News presenter Nigel Farage, a friend of Trump’s, the current president said: ‘We will have to see if they know anything about the drugs and if he was lying they will have to take appropriate action. action.’
‘Appropriate action? What could mean… that I don’t stay in America?’ Farage asked.
‘Oh, I don’t know. You’ll have to tell me. You just have to tell me. You’d think they would have known this a long time ago,” Trump responded.
Trump has also previously fired shots at the duke for stepping down as a working royal and moving to America in the first place.
Harry has admitted to using cocaine and marijuana in the past and once said that cannabis helped heal the trauma of his mother’s death.
The Duke said taking ayahuasca, the psychedelic drug, made him realize his mother wanted him to be “happy”.
In September 2020, shortly after Harry and his wife Meghan Markle moved to the US, the couple urged American voters to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity” in that year’s election, which ultimately Joe Biden were won.
Although the Sussexes did not endorse a candidate in the 2024 election, the wording of their video message led to accusations that they were referring to Mr Trump and therefore breached British protocol, which allows members of the royal family to maintain political neutrality.
Trump was then asked at a White House briefing about his response to their comments, saying, “I’m not a fan of her (Meghan) and I would say this, and she probably heard that.” But I wish Harry the best of luck, because he’s going to need it.’
It was in the news again after Harry’s February interview with Good Morning America, where the issue of seeking US citizenship was raised.
“American citizenship is a thought that crosses my mind, but certainly not something that is a high priority for me right now,” he said.
Anyone applying for a visa to live and work in America must answer “yes” or “no” to the question, “Are you or have you ever been a drug user or addict?”
Trump, 78, has declared victory in the 2024 presidential election but has previously said Harry would not receive ‘special treatment’
Following the publication of Harry’s memoirs in 2023, Washington-based conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation claimed that Harry could have possibly checked ‘no’ on his application when asked about drug use. The Duke’s visa application has never been publicly released.
The group filed a lawsuit against the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) after a Freedom of Information request was denied.
Heritage claimed Harry’s document was of “great public importance” but lost the case on September 23 after Judge Carl Nichols ruled it should remain private.
Heritage then filed a new lawsuit on October 22 in an attempt to reopen the case, saying it was barred from seeing private submissions to the judge by the Biden administration.
Before a ruling was made in the case, Trump said in February that Harry would “be on his own” if he won the November election and claimed the duke had “betrayed the Queen.”
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he also said the Biden administration had been “too friendly” to Harry since he moved to the US.
Last week, Eric Trump reignited attacks on the Sussexes, telling MailOnline that Harry’s US visa is safe because “no one cares” about the duke or his “unpopular” wife Meghan.
But he added: “I don’t care if he does drugs. It doesn’t mean anything. I can tell you that our father and our entire family have enormous respect for the monarchy.”
Eric also said, “Honestly, I don’t care about Prince Harry and I don’t think this country does either. My father loved the queen and I think the monarchy is an incredibly beautiful thing.’
Eric told the Daily Mail that Trump “loved the Queen” and regretted that Harry had caused “enormous damage” to the royal family after leaving Britain.
American judge Carl Nichols ruled against the Heritage Foundation on September 23
Queen Elizabeth II walks with Donald Trump at Buckingham Palace for the 2019 banquet
Trump told the Daily Express: “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the queen. That’s unforgivable. If it were up to me, he’d be on his own.’
Earlier this week, royal expert Hugo Vickers told the same outlet: “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Trump suddenly said, ‘Right, I’m sending Prince Harry out of this country.’
He added that the couple would have to come up with a “back-up plan” about where they could live if Trump chose to force Harry out of the country.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly bought a home in Portugal, where Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, spends half her time with her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank.
Donald Trump, Queen Elizabeth II, Melania Trump, Charles and Camilla at the banquet in 2019
While many may have suspected their purchase was a way to get closer to Britain, The Sun reports it is the first part of a global property empire.
The California-based couple are looking to consolidate their Netlix millions after signing a five-year deal with the streaming giant in 2020 worth an estimated $100 million (£80 million).
A source told The Sun that the pair hope to be “smart” with their millions as they continue to foot a huge security bill in the United States.
Insiders suggested that they plan to invest further in real estate in the coming years.
However, Mr Vickers suggested that this house could now be an alternative for the couple if the worst were to happen to Prince Harry’s visa.
Harry and Meghan visited Eugenie and Jack last year at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, a luxury 300-property seaside development in Melides, south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, on what appeared to be a crucial trip.
The Duke raised the prospect of US citizenship when he spoke to ABC’s Good Morning America earlier this year.
He said he loved his new life in California so much that he might take the citizenship test — even if it would force him to give up his royal titles.
“It’s great, I enjoy every day,” he said.
When asked what would stop him from becoming a U.S. citizen, he added, “I have no idea… U.S. citizenship is a thought that crosses my mind, but it’s not a high priority for me.”
Although Meghan is a U.S. citizen and Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are dual citizens between America and Britain, Harry would have to undertake an arduous process to officially become a U.S. citizen.
U.S. immigration policy states that “any candidate who holds hereditary titles or positions of nobility in a foreign state must relinquish the title or position.”
The policy also states that Harry must “expressly relinquish the title in a public ceremony and USCIS must record the relinquishment as part of the procedure.”