In the five years since Prince Harry left behind the glittery hallways of Buckingham Palace and the Royal politics (or at least tried to), he perhaps never once overly rued his decision to turn his back on King Charles and Prince William. Oh, how the tables have turned.
The last few months have seen the Sussexes employing several tactics to amp up their fame, even going so far as to break their “salt and pepper” association that saw them attending the smallest event together. They focused on dividing and conquering, with their well-wishers commenting that the trick was for Meghan Markle and Harry to distribute their combined energy and cover more ground while battling arenas that suit either of them the best.
Or maybe, it was just a move by Meghan to protect her reputation when the ultimate time came i.e., when the U.S. election results were announced. Because the impossible was always possible and now America will be living with it for the next four years — Donald Trump as their president, someone who has made it clear that he is no fan of Harry and would get him deported if he finds out that he lied on his visa application about taking drugs when he was seeking U.S. residence.
Nile Gardiner, director of the conservative think tank known as the Heritage Foundation (that has been after Harry and has been striving to get its hands on the Duke of Sussex’s visa records), believes that with Donald Trump set to be the U.S. president again, Harry will now have to answer all the questions and perhaps face deportation from the country.
“If Harry did lie on his immigration application, he would have to leave the United States. That would be a criminal offence, and he would be subject to deportation from the United States.”
The foundation has been relentless in its pursuit of the Duka’s visa documents ever since Harry’s memoir Spare revealed that he had dabbled in recreational drugs in his party days and even sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to force the release of his visa records, though it was ultimately ruled that they won’t be disclosed. A past of drug usage does have an effect on an applicant’s eligibility for the U.S. visa and as Gardiner described, lying about it on the documentation can lead to severe consequences.
Now, with Trump set to be back in the White House, Gardiner appears almost sure about what the future has in store for the estranged royal once his immigration records are no longer sealed. In fact, he is certain that in light of their severed U.K. ties, Canada is “the most likely destination” the couple would go to if Harry is indeed deported.
Is there more to Meghan suddenly keeping her distance from Harry in social settings? Is she minimizing the damage his supposed lie on his visa documents could have on their combined reputation, one they have painstakingly built in the U.S. in the last few years? Is she trying to remove herself from the backsplash her husband’s past could trigger? Will she go with Harry if the U.S. no longer allows him to call it his home?
Anyway, the possibility of Harry’s immigration documents getting fresh scrutiny and probably losing the security he enjoyed under the Joe Biden administration is a very valid scenario. Trump has already made his feelings towards the Duke very clear, confirming that he is frustrated with Biden for “protecting Harry” and that he will be taking “appropriate action” if he discovers that Harry lied on his visa documentation.
Assuming that Harry and Meghan’s rumored plan to maximize their impact with solo ventures won’t extend to the Suits star not leaving with Harry if he does get deported, she will be once again uprooting or just abandoning everything in the U.S. she worked hard to establish, just like she did when she married Harry.