Prince Harry’s visa row continues as thousands of documents set to be released

Prince Harry’s visa row continues as thousands of documents set to be released In a lengthy dispute over the Duke of Sussex’s US visa, thousands of files are soon to be released by the US State Department, after claims Harry omitted his past drug use in his visa application Thousands of documents are soon to be released by the US State Department regarding a lawsuit over Prince Harry ’s US visa records. Since last year, the Duke of Sussex has been embroiled in a row over his visa application documents a conservative Washington DC think tank, the Heritage Foundation, requested his visa paperwork be made public following his claims about past drug use in his memoir, Spare. The courts, however, upheld Harry’s privacy rights over his visa application, prompting the Heritage Foundation to file a new case against the US State Department urging them to release other documents it holds relating to the prince. As a result, a review of 307 documents comprising 2,487 pages was ordered, and after months of processing by officials, the first tranche of files will be released at the end of July. The Mirror has reached out to the Duke of Sussex’s representatives, and the Heritage Foundation for comment. The US State Department told Newsweek that they would not be commenting on the matter, as they do not speak on active litigation. With the release of the files, the Heritage Foundation will be looking for documents that support their claims that Harry was given special treatment by the US government when he applied for his visa. Harry and his wife Meghan Markle permanently relocated to America in 2020 after quitting their royal roles. Lawyers for Heritage told the court Harry must either have failed to declare his past drug use in his visa application, or been given favourable treatment. In his 2023 autobiography Spare, Harry described taking drugs including cannabis, cocaine, magic mushrooms and ayahuasca, and argued that this should have rendered him ineligible to enter the United States. A court filing to have the documents released, according to Newsweek, was submitted jointly by Heritage and the State Department in June and read: "The State Department anticipates making its first production of nonexempt portions of responsive records at the end of July 2026. Following that, the Department will make regular productions every eight weeks." This new update could offer a new glimpse into how Harry is “discussed within the US government”, as well as shedding light on what he may have included in his visa application. The upcoming release of the documents comes after a September 2024 ruling by US District Judge Carl Nichols that the public did not have a strong interest in disclosing Harry's immigration records, but the Heritage Foundation sought to overturn the judgment. The organisation’s legal team stated then: “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.” John Bardo, a lawyer representing the Department of Homeland Security under the Joe 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.” US 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 had 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.”