Prince Harry is facing a new bombshell as a US court is expected to release an update on his visa documents on Saturday. The Duke of Sussex has been embroiled in a so-called "visa row" after the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington DC think tank, requested his visa documents be made public following his claims about past drug use in his memoir, Spare, released in 2023.
Background of the Visa Row
Harry's references to using cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms prompted the organization to file a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit questions whether the Duke received preferential treatment or whether protocols were followed when he entered the country in 2020.
Legal Battle Timeline
The scheduled update follows a complex timeline of legal battles between the think tank and the US government. In March of last year, the court released heavily redacted court filings that shed no fresh light on the circumstances under which the Duke entered the US.
US Department of Homeland Security officials responded to a request from US District Judge Carl Nichols, stating that the records were being "withheld in full" and that all records are deemed "categorically exempt from disclosure."
Previous Rulings and Developments
In September 2024, Judge Nichols ruled that the public did not have a strong interest in the disclosure of Harry's immigration records. However, the Heritage Foundation sought to have the judgment overturned. The organization's legal team stated: "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."
Despite previously refusing the FOI request, in February 2025, lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security agreed to release redacted versions of the forms. John Bardo, a lawyer representing the DHS under the Biden administration, said in 2024 about Harry's claims in Spare: "The book isn't sworn testimony or proof. Saying something in a book doesn't necessarily make it true. The mere acknowledgement of these records would constitute an unwarranted invasion of Prince Harry's privacy."
Harry's Drug Use Claims
In his controversial memoir, Harry said cocaine "didn't do anything for me," adding: "Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me."
Trump's Comments
Former President Donald Trump said in a GB News interview with Nigel Farage in March 2024 that Harry should not receive preferential treatment. Asked if the Duke should have "special privileges" if he was found to have lied on his application, Trump said: "No. We'll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they'll have to take appropriate action."
