With everything currently going on in the United States, it’s easy to overlook a court case involving a punk pop prince and his potential visa fraud.
Unless, of course, you’re Donald Trump.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, recaptured the nation’s attention early last year by releasing “Spare.” The title was a play on words regarding the famous “heir and a spare” philosophy that drove monarchs to have an heir and an extra son to continue the lineage should the heir pass away before taking the throne. Surprisingly, the memoir was the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, proving that even after the Revolutionary War, some Americans still have an unhealthy attachment to England.
In “Spare,” Harry describes his childhood and the impact of his mother’s death, his teen years and time served in Afghanistan, familial relationships, and marriage to Meghan Markle. But it’s not the poignant memories that dragged Harry back into the U.S. spotlight.
It was his penned admission to experimenting with drugs, from magic mushrooms to cocaine and pot.
One would think that the Biden administration already has its hands full glossing over the impact of millions of illegal immigrants pouring across the southern border, but the (Department of Homeland Security) DHS seems to have time to protect a royal.
The Biden administration is embroiled in a legal dispute over Prince Harry’s visa application, prompted by concerns raised by the Heritage Foundation. The foundation argues that Prince Harry’s candid revelations about past drug use in his bestselling memoir “Spare” should have rendered him ineligible for entry into the United States under federal law.
Immigration law in the United States includes inquiries about an applicant’s current and past drug use on visa application forms. Such disclosures are crucial as they can impact the approval or rejection of the visa application. Prince Harry’s revelations in his memoir, “Spare,” regarding his past use of drugs have sparked visa legality concerns. For non-citizens like Prince Harry, such admissions could have adverse immigration consequences, potentially affecting his visa eligibility if he had disclosed them on his application.
There are only two possibilities. Either Prince Harry failed to disclose his experimentation with drugs on his immigration forms, or he received preferential treatment due to his high-profile status.
The Heritage Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the DHS seeking access to Prince Harry’s visa records, which the DHS has resisted on privacy grounds. The Biden administration supports withholding the records, citing privacy concerns and arguing that visa and immigration status are private matters. The case was heard on Friday, February 24, 2024, and is ongoing.
A lawyer representing the Biden administration has suggested that Prince Harry’s memoir may have been exaggerated to sell more books. In court, government lawyer John Bardo observed, “Saying something in a book doesn’t necessarily make it true.” Meanwhile, DHS is in overdrive attempting to keep Harry’s visa application information private, despite the Heritage Foundation insisting that the public has a “right to know” if Harry was given preferential treatment or lied on his application.
Former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the case, saying that Prince Harry would be “on his own” after betraying his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, by announcing online in 2020 that he would be packing his bags and heading to America. Calling the Biden administration “too gracious” in dealing with Harry, Trump noted, “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it were down to me.”
The relationship between Queen Elizabeth and former President Trump was odd and unclear. In June 2019, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the United Kingdom for a state visit commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
During the visit, Queen Elizabeth allegedly sent subtle messages to Trump. She wore the Burmese Ruby Tiara, believed to ward off illness and evil, and gifted him a first edition of Winston Churchill’s “The Second World War.” However, Trump noted that they had a “great relationship” and a visit filled with laughter and fun, a sentiment echoed by the Queen’s staff, who noted her unusual enjoyment during their time together.
But Trump’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth II aside, he always manages to insert himself into the fray. But Trump thrives on negative exposure, and with just a few off-handed comments, he has found a way to insert himself, once again, into a fight he would be better off to avoid. His jabs at Prince Harry will be magnified and manipulated by the media and political pundits until he’s painted as England’s Public Enemy Number One.
