Prince Harry's US Visa Battle Takes New Turn as State Department Prepares to Release Records
The Royal Family faces a new PR challenge as new files regarding Prince Harry's U.S. visa application shift the spotlight onto him.
While on one hand, Prince Harry and his family’s upcoming trip to the UK is making headlines, he now finds himself embroiled in some fresh drama. The Duke of Sussex is locked in a "visa row" after the Heritage Foundation—a conservative Washington, D.C. think tank—demanded his US immigration records be made public. The legal battle centers on claims of past drug use detailed in his 2023 memoir, Spare, where he mentioned using cannabis, cocaine, magic mushrooms and ayahuasca, prompting questions over whether he disclosed that history during his U.S. visa application.
The U.S. State Department is getting ready to release a number of documents regarding his visa application from when the couple decided to move to the U.S. after stepping back from their roles as senior royals in 2020. Allegedly, the process consisted of reviewing 307 documents, comprising 2,487 pages, and now that the review is done after months of processing, they will begin to be released in batches, with redacted and non-exempt portions made public.
This whole legal drama started after the right-wing think tank sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking access to the prince’s visa records. The court previously ruled against releasing the records, citing Harry's privacy interests. The organization's legal team stated then, "The Biden administration has gone to great lengths to protect Prince Harry and, in doing so, has undermined the public's trust in the fair enforcement of our nation's immigration laws.”
The Heritage Foundation later sought additional records, prompting a review by the U.S. State Department. The request ultimately led to the State Department agreeing to begin releasing non-exempt portions of responsive records.
Having only recently navigated the intense fallout from the Andrew-Epstein-related scandals, the royal family now faces a new PR challenge as these new files shift the spotlight onto another high-profile ‘spare.’ As reported by Newsweek, the State Department will likely start releasing these files at the end of July and will continue every eight weeks until all the files are released.
A court filing submitted jointly by Heritage and the State Department in June read, “The State Department anticipates making its first production of nonexempt portions of responsive records at the end of July 2026. Following that, the Department will make regular productions every eight weeks.” While the Heritage Foundation won’t receive the unredacted visa papers they originally sought, they will be looking for evidence to support their longstanding claim that Prince Harry received preferential treatment during the handling of his U.S. immigration records.
