Prince Harry 'should have been denied U.S. visa' following use of cocaine, weed, shrooms in the past
“He would have been asked [about drug abuse when applying for his U.S. visa]. If he was truthful in his answers, he should have been denied".
Prince Harry reportedly could find himself grounded from future jet-setting thanks to his frank admissions in his memoir, Spare, that he tried cocaine and cannabis as a teen and had quite the fanciful trip on mushrooms much later as an adult.
According to Breitbart, a far-right syndicated news, opinion and commentary website that has even added a “Woke Harry” header to its site, let the invective flow in an article about how the fifth in line to the British throne admitted to abusing illegal drugs from the age of 17.
“If he was truthful in his answers, he should have been denied,” Benitez reportedly said, adding one repercussion for that could be revocation of his U.S. visa.
A revoked visa is no longer valid for entry or re-entry into the U.S., per Sam Shihab & Associates. “Visa-holders must adhere to the terms and conditions of the visa, and they must exit the United States when their stay expires.”
Cocaine and cannabis off-limits in U.K. and federally in U.S.
Both cocaine and recreational cannabis remain illegal throughout the U.K., the same is the case federally in the U.S.
Information from the U.S. Department of State notes a visa could be denied for several reasons, including that the applicant was convicted of a drug violation; it does mention use specifically.
That said, The Times reports U.S. officials explained that entry into the country is granted on a “case-by-case” basis, with the rules stating an individual’s “current and/or past actions, such as drug or criminal activities … may make the applicant ineligible for a visa.”
Per Breitbart, The Telegraph quoted immigration lawyer Chrissie Fernandez as explaining that while Prince Harry should have disclosed even possessing an illicit substance, it was “unlikely that his case would be reopened if immigration authorities were to hear that he previously, years ago, used drugs.”
The Times previously reported that Prince Harry did not intend to apply for permanent residency or U.S. citizenship.
According to an April 2021 article in The National Law Review, if he did decide to become a U.S. citizen, Prince Harry “will be forced to expressly renounce any title or order of nobility he holds before he acquires U.S. citizenship, according to the Immigration and Nationalization Act.” Additionally, the information states, “acquiring U.S. citizenship could potentially lead to Prince Harry having to pay worldwide taxes.”
News.com reports that after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California in 2020, it’s possible he obtained a spousal visa to live and work in the U.S. or an O-1 visa, which is given to people with “extraordinary ability.” The latter needs to be renewed every three years.
Spare makes big splash in advance of official release
Last week, The Telegraph, after obtaining a Spanish-language version of Spare, noted the Duke of Sussex, then 17, tried cocaine on a hunting weekend while attending Eton College, an elite boarding school whose extensive co-curriculum focuses on pastoral excellence and a growing expertise in digital education, and “a few more lines” at other times.
He also reportedly smoked weed at the school, just a 15-minute stroll from Windsor Castle, and later in his garden at Kensington Palace, which at various times served as home to Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
According to News.com, Prince Harry even revealed he got high at a friend’s place after his first date with Meghan Markle in 2016.
Prince Harry sees talking trash bin on mushrooms
That same year, albeit across the pond in California, the prince, then in his 30s, reportedly tried magic mushrooms and the experience was transforming: indeed, he relays seeing a garbage bin grow a head and then start to talk to him.
Per Breitbart, the incident took place at a party hosted by Friends star Courteney Cox. Recreational cannabis is legal in California, but magic mushrooms are not, although some cities have decriminalized possession and the state is considering that.
The bin, located beside a toilet, apparently had a foot pedal that could be used to open the lid. “I stared at the bin. It stared back. Then it became … a head. I stepped on the pedal and the head opened its mouth. A huge open grin. I laughed, turned away, took a p***,” the publication cites the book as reading.
Spare — which will be available in hardcover, paperback and digital formats in Canada on Jan. 10 — will also be offered as an audiobook, read by the prince himself, and released on the same day, according to Canada Today.
