TalkTV has suggested that Prince Harry's US visa issues may be a key factor behind his and Meghan Markle's sudden return to the UK. The couple have reportedly abandoned their Montecito properties and enrolled their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, at British schools.
Visa complications cited
Speaking on TalkTV, foreign policy expert Nile Gardiner proposed that complications with the Duke's visa could explain the move. This follows the US State Department withholding an initial batch of 18 documents related to Harry's visa records, as part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act case.
Gardiner told presenter Kevin O'Sullivan: "I do believe that this very important issue of Harry's immigration records has been an important factor in the background of the Sussexes' decision to leave the United States."
Sudden decision
He added: "It's one of several key factors that are in play, after all, this is a very sudden and surprising decision. Even the King did not know about it until last Sunday. Prince William was completely blindsided by this, and he's the future king and so this is an extraordinary decision taken by the Sussexes, and you have to ask why they have made this incredible decision."
"After all, they are monumentally unpopular in the United Kingdom; they're increasingly disliked in America as well, but this is a shock decision by them, so there must be something in the background with regard to why they made this decision," he continued.
Document review
The comments follow a Newsweek report that at the end of July, a decision was taken to withhold the 18 documents. The department was reviewing 307 documents totalling 2,487 pages, with none expected to be publicly released for now.
A joint status report, filed at the district court in DC and seen by Newsweek, read: "This case stems from a Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") request that Plaintiffs submitted to the Department for records regarding Henry Charles Albert David, also known as 'the Duke of Sussex' or 'Prince Harry.' The State Department made its first interim production in this case on July 30, 2026, in which it identified 18 responsive records, all withheld in their entirety."
