Prince Harry faces shock twist in U.S. visa case as judge makes game-changing decision

Prince Harry and the long, twisting saga involving his U.S. visa application just got a bit more interesting for everyone involved as the judge in his case has made a massive decision. The case, brought forward by the right-wing Heritage Foundation thinktank, hinges on whether or not Harry lied about having taken drugs on his U.S. visa application.

Harry, who has admitted to taking drugs in his tell-all memoir Spare, would have been asked questions regarding his drug use as a normal part of the visa process. Admission to doing so is grounds for refusal, although it is possible to get a special waiver. For the Heritage Foundation, either outcome is unacceptable — the lie for obvious reasons, and the waiver because it would have been granted by the Biden administration.

After it got a bug in its bonnet over Harry’s visa status, the Heritage Foundation submitted a Freedom of Information request regarding the issue, which was denied. It then sued the Department of Homeland Security to force a release of documents it deemed to be in the public interest.

There’s an awful lot going on for this story, and as is often the case when it comes to high-profile news out of the U.S. these days, much of it involves President Donald Trump. He does not like Harry at all, and he’s even less fond of his wife, Meghan Markle. Trump has said he wants to prosecute Harry if he’s found to have lied. Amid all Trump’s usual nonsense and bombastic statements, a quieter legal battle was underway involving the release of documents.

Key documents regarding the case were, of course, sealed and inaccessible to the general public — including the Heritage Foundation. A Daily Mail exclusive has revealed the outcome of a legal battle to get the contents of these documents released, and it is not good news for Harry. The government was given until Feb. 20 to decide which documents could be released to the public, and with that date having come and gone, a decision has been made.

Three of the documents can be unsealed, albeit with some redactions to preserve privacy. This will be seen as a big win for campaigners, who want access to all of the details of the case. However, a fourth document cannot be released as it is impossible to release without also releasing information a judge has deemed should remain private. The judge in the case wanted to make the “maximal amount” of material public, and it looks like that’s what’s happened here. The documents should give an unprecedented level of insight into Harry’s visa claim, whether the duke likes it or not.

Whatever it is that’s actually contained within these, the Heritage Foundation will be happy to see it. This is because, to them, it doesn’t matter whether Harry lied or received a waiver — they and their allies can dine out repeatedly on either outcome. For Harry, though, it may mean a swift departure from the U.S. and a return home to a family that doesn’t quite want him anymore. Or a trial — and at this point, it’s hard to say which would be worse.