Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have lived a pretty good life in California, USA, across the ocean, since stepping down from their royal duties in 2020. But now it seems that the Duke of Sussex's past may affect him in some way, threatening his long-term future in the United States.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are working on contingency plans to potentially move back to Canada if Prince Harry has problems maintaining his visa status in the U.S. due to drug abuse, people familiar with the matter said. With the publication of Prince Harry's memoirs, coupled with the inadequacy of the U.S. immigration system under Trump, it looks like the duke could face an uphill battle to stay in the U.S. indefinitely.
It has been widely reported that Prince Harry candidly discusses some of his past rash behaviors in his wild years before Meghan, such as partying and taking drugs. While drugs are undoubtedly a regrettable part of Prince Harry's rebellious years in his 20s, Prince Harry's illegal drug use could seriously jeopardize his visa application if immigration enforcement decides to go online.
In the UK, royalty tends to be treated more leniently when it comes to personal misconduct, while the US has a stricter zero-tolerance approach to immigration fraud and non-citizens with criminal records – even years ago.
If immigration authorities determine that Prince Harry was not fully honest in his visa or green card application, such as concealing his past drug use, they have the right to revoke his immigration status and order him to leave the United States.
With immigration hawks like former Trump still wielding influence, the California-based duke is certainly the target of the former leader's public criticism. Trump has never shown kindness to the insults he perceives and has shown a willingness to use the immigration system as a stick against those he considers to be his opponents — meaning Prince Harry will face an uphill battle: convincing the authorities to be lenient with him, even for mistakes made as a young man.
All this uncertainty is said to be why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have supposedly been quietly making plans that they might move to their backup home in Canada if the U.S. visa situation deteriorates. As British citizens, the couple has no problem legally residing in Canada for a long time, a move that will allow them to continue building their Archewell brand outside of the U.S. if needed.
Of course, moving their growing family from California back to Canada is far from ideal, but news has come out that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want contingencies in place, just in case. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have put down roots in Montecito, and their mansion is worth tens of millions of dollars, making it their preferred long-term base, but the fickle nature of American politics means their future there could change at any time.
Fortunately for Prince Harry, Canada has always held a special place in his and Meghan's hearts, as they had a blissful holiday before Meghan Brexit and a pseudo-royal time before leaving Buckingham Palace altogether.
So moving doesn't feel like an unnecessary step backwards, and Vancouver is close enough to Hollywood that they can still pursue their business plans on the other side of the border. At the same time, Canada's social liberal values and attitude towards the monarchy will provide a generally more welcoming environment.
Although Prince Harry has always been relatively cautious about past mistakes, some of the transparency in his memoirs could backfire if they were misinterpreted as deception of the authorities. The consequences of even minor visa issues will not be good for the duke, who can be subject to penalties ranging from fines to deportation. With immigration laws stricter than ever, one wrong move can spell disaster, whether you're a celebrity or not.
But with the November midterm elections approaching, voters are likely to turn Congress and the White House blue again. Democrats are likely to take a more moderate approach rather than strengthen protectionism under Republican leadership. Until then, Prince Harry must keep a low profile, hoping that any past truths won't come back in the meantime to undermine his American reality.
Currently, Monticito's relocation is still on hold, with most of the family's business still in the UK. But Canada's contingency plan is rumored to have been set in motion behind the scenes. The political situation in the United States is turbulent, and Prince Harry's fate after fleeing the royal family may depend on the outcome of the midterm elections.
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