Whatever you think of Prince Harry (and I know he has his supporters and detractors), there are some things we can all agree on. He is a wealthy man from a remarkably privileged background who boasts almost universal fame.
I’m not opposed to any of that and I have nothing personally against him.
But at the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom in Washington, DC, America’s most prominent conservative think tank, our goal is to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) treats everyone—prince or ordinary citizen and current) equally when it comes to being allowed to legally enter the US.
Prince Harry entered the United States in March 2020 without apparent problem and has settled with his wife Meghan and their two children in Montecito, California.
However, in his book Spare, published last year, he widely admitted to elements of drug crimes both in the United States and elsewhere. He admitted to using cocaine, cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms. He has since spoken out about using the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca.
Prince Harry has publicly admitted to extensive use of illegal drugs, including cocaine, cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms.
However, in his book Spare, published last year, he broadly admitted elements of drug-related crime both in the United States and elsewhere and that U.S. immigration rules take a firm stance against the use of illegal drugs.
Prince Harry entered America in March 2020 without apparent problem and has settled with his wife Meghan and their two children in Montecito, California.
What does this have to do with me or my organization, you may ask?
The Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, created by Baroness Thatcher in 2006, is part of the Heritage Foundation, which has about 500,000 members and has been the leading Washington think tank calling for strict enforcement of US immigration laws. and condemns the Biden Administration’s failure to secure America’s borders.
When I worked for Baroness Thatcher as a foreign policy assistant in London from 2000 to 2002, she felt strongly that both the United States and the United Kingdom must defend and control their borders and apply the rule of law to protect them.
That is why we are immersed in a court battle with DHS, the agency in charge of American immigration, to release Prince Harry’s visa application. Officials have resisted our Freedom of Information request and the matter is now in the hands of a judge. I have no doubt that my former boss would have supported our fight to determine whether Harry received preferential treatment.
Agree or disagree, but the United States takes a strong stance against illegal drug use. Anyone applying to live and work in the US must answer the question: “Have you ever violated or participated in a conspiracy to violate any law related to controlled substances?”
Once again, Harry has publicly admitted to his extensive use of illegal drugs. What do we present with this medium? That Harry appears to have received special treatment: DHS looked the other way if the Prince answered truthfully, or looked the other way if the Prince lied on his visa application. Either action would be wrong.
Truthfully recounting the drug use described in Spare would have made him inadmissible to enter the country – full stop – unless he entered on a visa that does not allow permanent residence in the US and received a special exemption, which leads a long time.
But Harry decided to move to the United States and entered without apparent difficulty in less than two weeks.
Prince Harry was in the audience at the ‘women in media’ session at the SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, on March 8, 2024.
At the event, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was one of the keynote speakers and spoke to the media about the experience while pregnant with her two children Archie and Lilibet.
One would have hoped that Harry’s immigration application would have included the same detailed description of drug use as his book. Any omission would be an extremely serious matter.
Heritage’s expert made it clear to the court that if a hypothetical “normal” person lied on such a scale and published a book (which some claim glorifies illegal drug use) they would face immediate and harsh action from DHS. They could well be deported.
A source close to Harry has said he was “truthful” in his request and there is no evidence he provided false information. What matters is how DHS acted. Does DHS have favorites?
The case goes beyond a single person: it is about whether the US government is following the law.
Most Americans don’t like the idea of celebrities being treated differently from others, and Harry’s fame and profile make this case the ideal window into DHS conduct. If the DHS granted Harry special treatment, the implications are obvious: he has probably granted such treatment in the past to other sufficiently famous or sufficiently politically aligned people, and will probably continue to do so.
It is surprising that US officials are fighting to prevent the release of Harry’s immigration records.
The judge is expected to release a written decision on our case soon. On Thursday, he ordered DHS to provide specific information before deciding whether to make the records public or not. He also asked the government to explain any “particular harm” that might arise from the disclosure of the documents.
For the sake of truth and transparency, I hope you agree to allow the public to see Harry’s immigration records for themselves. That is the fairest possible result.
Dr. Nile Gardiner is director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC.