Prince Harry's visa documents remain secret despite drug revelations

Although Prince Harry made his drug use public in his bestselling memoir, his application for a US visa remains confidential, a judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Heritage Foundation seeking to compel the government to release the exiled royal family's application to review whether it contained any mention of drug use.

The conservative think tank – famously responsible for the infamous Project 2025, which plans a right-wing government – questioned whether Harry was properly vetted after “extensive and continuous” media coverage of his alleged use of illegal substances.

In his 2023 book Spare partThe Duke of Sussex announced that he had experimented with cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

But Judge Nichols ruled: “The public has no significant interest in disclosing the Duke's immigration records. Like any foreign national, the Duke has a legitimate interest in maintaining his privacy regarding his immigration status.”

He acknowledged that Harry had revealed “intimate details” of his life in the book, including “numerous instances” of his drug use, and that he had been a public figure.

However, he added that the public interest in the prince's move to America was “outweighed by the Duke's interest in his privacy”.

Visa applications for the United States will ask questions about past and current drug use, and admission can frequently result in rejection.