The royal couple’s American dream might face a dramatic twist following Donald Trump’s election victory. Trump has been clear and consistent in criticizing Prince Harry since his departure from Britain in 2020. He has clarified it again and again through his words that the Duke of Sussex should expect no special treatment under his presidency.
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“I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me,” Trump declared in a candid interview with the Daily Express . His dissatisfaction with Harry’s actions was evident through his statements, and he believes that Harry let Queen Elizabeth II down. The controversy started with Harry’s admission of drug use in his memoir Spare, which eventually landed on his visa status. Immigration experts note that visa applicants must legally declare any history of drug use and false statements regarding this can potentially lead to deportation. Trump addressed this issue on GB News , stating, “We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
Trump tells me Prince Harry faces an uncertain future in America if he lied on his visa application. Watch the full interview on GB News tonight at 7pm. pic.twitter.com/yALTCtYlfC
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) March 19, 2024
There is a huge push by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, to make Harry’s visa application public. Their initial lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security was unsuccessful when Judge Carl Nichols ruled that “the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the Duke’s immigration records.” But the organization didn’t stop there and filed a new motion in October 2024, arguing that the case deserves reconsideration.
The tension between Trump and the Sussexes has deeper roots. Shortly after the arrival of the royal couple to the U.S., Meghan Markle urged American voters to “reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.” While they didn’t explicitly endorse any candidate, Trump’s response was telling: “I’m not a fan of hers (Markle), and I would say this, and she probably has heard that. But I wish a lot of luck to Harry, cause he’s going to need it.” On the other hand, Eric Trump unfolded a new perspective on this situation that suggested Harry’s visa might be secure despite his father’s previous statements. “Truthfully I don’t give a damn about Prince Harry and I don’t think this country does either,” he told the Daily Mail . “My father loved the Queen and I think the monarchy is an incredibly beautiful thing.”
The Sussexes appear to be taking potential risks seriously. Royal experts suggest they’re developing contingency plans and that includes a possible relocation to their recently acquired property in Portugal’s Alentejo region. This backup plan could prove crucial if Trump decides to act on his statements about Harry’s immigration status. Harry himself has maintained a relatively neutral stance on his future in America. In a February interview with ABC’s Good Morning America , he mentioned that while U.S. citizenship had crossed his mind, it wasn’t “a high priority.” Perhaps it is time to reconsider his relaxed approach given everything that is going on in politics at the moment.