Donald Trump, 78, has been officially elected as the next President of the United States and it’s speculated that he might follow through on his warning against Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Trump had previously hinted at ‘appropriate action’ towards the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which could potentially result in their expulsion from the US.
If this were to happen, it’s believed that the couple already have a ‘back up plan’ prepared for such an eventuality. The Republican had previously commented on excerpts from Prince Harry’s bestselling 2023 memoir Spare, where the Duke of Sussex shares his experiences with psychedelic drugs – a factor that could cause issues for his visa.
In one notable excerpt, Harry, 40, recalls an encounter with magic mushrooms at a Hollywood party, stating: “I stared at the bin. It stared back. ‘What-staring? ‘ Then it became… a head. I stepped on the pedal and the head opened its mouth. A huge open grin.”
Displaying a level of openness rarely seen among senior Royal Family members, the father-of-two also admitted that while cocaine ‘didn’t do anything’ for him, “Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me.”
Readers were captivated by the unfiltered glimpse into Harry’s life away from his royal duties, but it’s understood that the newly elected President Trump was far from impressed, reports the Mirror.
Royal commentator Hugo Vickers revealed his thoughts to The Sun on Prince Harry’s potential future, expressing: “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he suddenly said ‘Right, I’m sending Prince Harry out of this country’. And the reasons that he would use would be the drug issue, because Prince Harry has admitted to taking marijuana, cocaine, magic mushrooms – and may not have filled that in on his visa form.”
Hugo added further insight by saying: “I think it’s very wise to take all the possibilities into account [and look to live elsewhere]. Looking at it from the outside, it makes perfect sense that they should have a backup plan. But Meghan is very US-based and [Harry being kicked out] would be a problem for them.”
In connection with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plans, reports suggest they might already be considering an option in Portugal. They’ve reportedly bought a holiday home next to one owned by Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, 34, and Jack Brooksbank, 38.
This acquisition could, as Mail Online noted, enable them to secure a ‘Golden Visa’ granting them hassle-free entry to the EU’s Schengen region.
Yet when it comes to settling permanently in Portugal, another royalty specialist, Richard Fitzwilliams, offered a differing take to the Daily Express. He argued that it’s improbable the Sussexes intend their Portuguese property to supplant their Californian abode, clarifying: “I don’t think that the home in Portugal is intended as a permanent base to replace California.
“Harry was extremely foolish to discuss his drug taking in Spare both in interviews and in the memoir, available in paperback. However, the Sussexes have kept a relatively low profile during the Election, urging Americans to vote but not being explicit as to whom for.”
He continued: “At one time it was thought that Meghan might enter politics but we have seen no sign of this. It is most unlikely that Trump would risk an embarrassing episode involving the royal family by expelling Harry, if it was discovered that he had not revealed his drug taking on his Visa application.”
During an interview with GB News earlier this year, Trump was quizzed by interviewer Nigel Farage as to whether there would be any ‘special privileges’ for Harry. Trump, who was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records back in May, replied: “No. We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
Farage then pressed: “Appropriate action? Which might mean…not staying in America? ” Considering this, Trump responded: “Oh I don’t know. You’ll have to tell me. You just have to tell me. You would have thought they would have known this a long time ago.”
Trump took a swipe at Prince Harry during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC, telling the Daily Express US he found the Royal Family “too gracious” towards the Duke. He emphatically stated, “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.”
Trump further added: “I think they have been too gracious to him after what he has done.”
The airing of dirty laundry didn’t end there; the Heritage Foundation previously sued for details on Harry’s US visa application, citing continuous media coverage of his past drug use and questioning the adequacy of his vetting process.
According to US law, a history of drug use could seriously impede one’s chances of entry into the country. Nonetheless, September witnessed a US judge protecting Harry’s privacy, as Carl Nichols ruled against disclosing the duke’s immigration details, emphasising that “the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the duke’s immigration records”.
Nichols supported Harry’s right to privacy concerning his immigration status, just like any other foreign national.
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