As Donald Trump prepares to take office as the 47th president of the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be facing increasingly difficult times. The couple, who remained largely silent during this year’s election campaign, may have legitimate concerns about their future in America, particularly after Trump has publicly stated he would consider deporting Prince Harry due to visa issues.
With no clear indication that they would be welcomed back by their family in the UK, a source said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in a state of uncertainty. “They feel very torn about what to do next, they honestly thought Kamala Harris would get in and they would be friends with the President – this is a hellish situation for them,” the source revealed.
Concerns about deportation and their future are weighing heavily on Harry, according to the insider, who also noted: “They’re both feeling very unsettled right now, what with everything going on in America, plus all the pressure on them to do well with their projects. They have to perform in 2025 as companies like Netflix won’t stand for anything that isn’t a huge hit because of all the money they’ve paid them.”
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In addition to their philanthropic efforts through the Archewell Foundation and parenting duties for their two children – five year old Prince Archie and three year old Princess Lilibet – the Royal couple are also slated to feature in several new documentaries. These include a professional polo scene documentary with Harry, 40, and a cookery show with Meghan, 42, reports OK! Magazine.
However, with Harry’s ongoing visa issues potentially escalating under Trump’s administration, there’s more at risk than just their television careers. Last year, the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, based in Washington DC, filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The suit questioned whether the royal’s visa application for his January 2020 move to the States was adequately scrutinised and called for the records to be made public. All US visa applicants are required to disclose any current or past drug use.
The lawsuit was filed after Harry shockingly confessed in his Spare memoir that he had used cocaine, magic mushrooms and marijuana in his youth. The 55-page lawsuit demanded the release of his application to verify whether he disclosed his drug use, arguing that the “widespread and continuous” coverage of his book raised questions about whether DHS properly admitted the Duke of Sussex given his public admission to numerous drug offences both in the United States and abroad.
In September, a judge decided that Prince Harry’s visa application should remain confidential, citing that the public interest in disclosure was “outweighed by the duke’s privacy interest”. However, with a changeover at the White House imminent, speculation has arisen about whether a reshuffle of security personnel might open the door for a successful challenge to this ruling.
The visa matter has been a recurring theme in Trump’s rhetoric; in February, he remarked that the US had been “too gracious” towards Harry since his relocation stateside with Meghan four years prior. Trump has also stated he “wouldn’t protect” Harry if any issues were found with his visa application and even commented on Harry’s relationship with his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, asserting: “He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.”
When questioned by GB News’ Nigel Farage in March about whether Harry deserved “special privileges” in the event of falsehoods on his application, the President-elect was unequivocal in his response: “No,” he declared, adding: “We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied, they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
As Trump’s inauguration in January looms, a source close to the Sussexes reveals that the couple is feeling cornered. “Their main worry is that Harry could be deported now that Trump is the next President,” they shared.
“He has made no secret of the fact that he dislikes him for the way Harry treated the royal family and he has the power to throw out anyone, and can use Harry’s drug taking admission as a reason.”
Previously, celebrities like Samuel L Jackson, Cher, Miley Cyrus and Neve Campbell faced backlash for threatening to leave America if Trump became President during his first run. However, with their new abode in Portugal, Harry and Meghan might find comfort closer to Harry’s UK family, suggests our source.
Last month, it was widely reported that the couple had spent over £6m on a house in Melides, where Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie and Hollywood star George Clooney also have properties. “They’re both worried about what life will be like in the US now, and they’ll spend more time in Portugal after buying a home there” our source claimed, “and if Harry had his way, they would be based there.”