A legal battle to make Prince Harry‘s U.S. visa records public is gaining momentum, with the Heritage Foundation, an American think tank, pushing for transparency. The organization has raised concerns about how the Duke of Sussex was permitted to enter the United States in 2020 despite his admissions of drug use in his memoir Spare, published in 2023.
In the book, Harry openly discussed experimenting with cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms, leading Heritage to question whether he disclosed this information on his visa application. U.S. law requires visa applicants to declare any history of drug use, with false statements potentially resulting in deportation.
Heritage alleges that Prince Harry either misrepresented his drug history on his immigration forms or received preferential treatment under the Biden administration. Judge Carl J. Nichols has now ordered lawyers representing both sides to meet in federal court in Washington, D.C., for a hearing scheduled for February 5.
This marks the first significant court session since Heritage reopened its case following a prior loss in September, when Judge Nichols ruled that Harry’s immigration records should remain confidential.
Donald Trump weighs in: No special treatment for Harry
The think tank’s efforts have also drawn political attention. President Donald Trump has been vocal about his stance on the matter. In an interview with GB News last year, Trump remarked that Harry should not receive “special privileges” if it’s proven he lied about his drug use. “We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action,” Trump stated when questioned about potential consequences for the Duke of Sussex.
Nile Gardiner, director of Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, expressed optimism that the newly elected president might intervene to release the records. Speaking to the New York Post, he said, “Donald Trump is ushering in a new era of strict border control enforcement, and you know, Prince Harry should be held fully to account as he has admitted to extensive illegal drug use.” Gardiner added, “My firm expectation is that action will be taken.”
Prince Harry’s revelations in Spare have fueled the controversy. While he downplayed his experience with cocaine, stating it “didn’t do anything for me,” he admitted marijuana had a different impact: “Marijuana is different; that actually really did help me.” If his visa records are eventually made public and show discrepancies, Harry could face serious consequences, including potential deportation from the U.S.