Prince Harry renounces British residency, declares US is his ‘new country’

After swirling chatter he could eventually return to the UK, the Duke of Sussex has made an official decision about his future.

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Prince Harry listed the United States as his primary residence for the first time since severing his ties to the royal family in 2020.

The Duke of Sussex recently updated his housing records, stating that his “New Country/State Usually Resident” is now the US, according to documents obtained by theDaily Mail.

Although the documents — submitted by Companies House for Harry’s eco-travel venture, Travalyst — were filed on Wednesday, Harry notably listed the “date of change” as June 29, 2023.

Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, officially moved out of their home in the United Kingdom on June 28 — three months after King Charles III evicted them from the property, known as Frogmore Cottage.

Prince Harry has listed the US as his primary country for the first time since leaving the UK four years ago. Picture: Don MacKinnon/AFP

Although it’s unclear if Harry renouncing his British residency will impact any of his titles, he might get the chance to discuss this issue with his father next month while visiting London.

Despite the legal change, Harry explained in December 2023 that he still considered the UK to be his “home” but felt “forced” to flee to the US due to safety concerns.

“The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US,” the duke said in a written statement read in a London court amid his legal bid for taxpayer-funded police security — which was denied.

“That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.”

Since then, the red-headed royal has expressed interest in getting his American citizenship.

Harry and Meghan live in Montecito, California. Picture: Andrew Chin/Getty Images

“The American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind, but certainly is not something that is a high priority for me right now,” he told Good Morning America in February.

Harry and Markle have lived in California with their two children for the last four years, and according to the former, they likely will stay there for a while.

“It’s amazing,” he said of West Coast living. “I love every single day.”

However, it might not be an easy process for the prince, who was very open about his past drug use in his memoir, Spare.

In the best-selling book, Harry admitted that he “drank heavily,” used cocaine, smoked pot and experimented with psychedelics.

While some legal experts argued that Harry’s admission could result in his visa being revoked, others claimed his status in the US isn’t at high risk unless he finds himself in other legal trouble.

Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare detailed his past drug use.

His memoir also delved into his fractured relationship with his brother Prince William.

“Absent any criminal charge related to drugs or alcohol or any finding by a judicial authority that Prince Harry is a habitual drug user, which he clearly is not, I don’t see any issue with the disclosures in his memoir regarding recreational experimentation with drugs,” immigration lawyer James Leonard previously told Page Six.

Another uncertainty is whether or not Harry would have to renounce his royal titles to obtain citizenship.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) notes a policy on their site called “Renunciation of Title or Order of Nobility” that may require the Duke of Sussex to no longer be referenced as such.

“Any applicant who has any titles of heredity or positions of nobility in any foreign state must renounce the title or the position,” per the policy, listed under “Oath of Allegiance” to the United States.

“The applicant must expressly renounce the title in a public ceremony and USCIS must record the renunciation as part of the proceedings.”

That could be a deal-breaker for the producer, who recently launched a new website revolving around his royal ties.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Prince Harry renounces British residency, declares US is his ‘new country’