Prince Harry’s drug confession could put US visa at risk: Reports

Harry’s jaw-droppingly candid confession about his history of drug use made headlines around the world – and also may have put his US visa in jeopardy.

Harry has opened up about his history of drug use. Picture: Netflix

Prince Harry’s candid drug confessions in his memoir could jeopardise his US visa, according to reports.

The Duke of Sussex revealed in Spare he’d tried cocaine on a hunting weekend when he was 17 years old, following it up with “a few more lines” at other times, and revealed that he’d also tried magic mushrooms and cannabis.

Harry even revealed that he went to a friend’s place and got high after his first date with Meghan Markle in London in 2016.

The couple moved to the former actress’ native California after quitting royal duties in 2020, with Harry most likely obtaining a spousal visa to live and work in the US or an O-1 visa which is given to people with “extraordinary ability”, according to The Times UK.

If it is the latter, it would need to be renewed every three years.

The Times reports that US officials grant entry on a “case-by-case” basis, but that the rules dictate that an applicant’s “current and/or past actions, such as drug or criminal activities … may make the applicant ineligible for a visa”.

A law professor who spoke to the UK’s Telegraphalso pointed out that if Harry had failed to declare his drug history or denied it when questioned on his application, the visa could potentially be revoked.

“One of the repercussions, whatever visa he has, is that it would be revoked, or he’ll be subject to being revoked [if] he lied in the application process,” Professor Alberto Benítez, director of George Washington University’s Immigration Clinic, told the publication.

The Duke now lives and works in the US. Picture: Netflix

It comes after excerpts from Spare were revealed last week following leaks and a mix-up which saw the memoir briefly hit shelves in Spain, five days before its official release, which is Wednesday, local time.

In the highly anticipated memoir, Harry writes candidly about “doing cocaine” while he was a teenager.

“Of course I had been doing cocaine around this time,” he said.

“At someone’s country house during a hunting weekend, I’d been offered a line, and I’d done a few more since. It wasn’t much fun, and it didn’t make me particularly happy, as it seemed to make everyone around me.

“But it did make me feel different, and that was the main goal. Feel. Different.

“I was a deeply unhappy 17-year-old willing to try almost anything that would alter the status quo. That was what I told myself anyway.”

Harry has spoken out about his past partying. Picture: Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images

He then detailed his experience on magic mushrooms, which he “washed down with tequila” at a party.

Harry also revealed he smoked weed, then watched the Disney film Inside Out, after his first date with Meghan.

He explained that he “barged into [a friend’s] house off the King’s Road” and they started drinking together after he met up with the then-Suits actress at Soho House.

“Out came the tequila. Out came the weed. We drank and smoked and watched … Inside Out,” he said.

Harry described himself as feeling “peacefully numb” and said it was “good weed, dude”.

He then got a FaceTime call from Meghan and said to his mate: “Oh sh*t, it’s her.”

She asked, “Are you watching cartoons?” and Harry replied, “No. I mean, yeah. It’s … Inside Out.”

Originally published as Prince Harry’s drug confession could put US visa at risk: Reports