Prince Harry Admits To Using Recreational Drugs In Memoir 'Spare'
Both in his memoir Spare and in public conversation with addiction and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, Prince Harry admitted to using substances such as cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol to deal with his emotional pain, and that using psychedelic drugs was a "fundamental" part of helping him heal from trauma.
Of his past use of psychedelics, Harry told Maté, "It was the cleaning of the windscreen, the cleaning of the windshield, the removal of life's filters...It removed it all for me and brought me a sense of relaxation, release, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold on to for a period of time. I started doing it recreationally and then started to realize how good it was for me." However, he did admit that the use of any psychedelics should be done with a "professional because you don't actually don't know what's going to come up."
When the Duke of Sussex was asked to fill out his U.S. visa application, the Heritage Foundation argues, he was likely asked about any past drug use. The Foundation is requesting to know how the Prince responded, given his recent revelations.
Some on social media are pro-The Heritage Foundation's actions, while others call it an act of "staggering hypocrisy" considering other big-name Brits who have admitted to drug use in the past and traveled to the United States with no issue or pushback from the Foundation.
Honesty May Not Be The Best Policy For Harry's Visa Application
Though Harry promised an honest and candid memoir—and that's certainly what we got with Spare—it may not have been the best policy for him in the case of his immigration status.
The Heritage Foundation is arguing that they want to know whether the Prince lied on his application about his past drug use, or whether he told the truth and was granted preferential treatment when the application was approved anyway. The Foundation had previously requested the application be made public under the Freedom of Information Act, but this initial request was denied by the court on the grounds that Harry's 2020 move to California "did not raise significant enough questions about governmental integrity to warrant the unsealing of the records."
However, after the Heritage Foundation appealed the judgment to the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., a judge reportedly agreed to at least hear their case.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, moved to the United States after stepping down as active members of the royal family, during which time Harry was granted a visa. As those moving to the States are usually initially granted a three-year visa, the Prince may also have to apply for another visa this year, which may prompt more questions about his past drug use.
Harry has not yet publicly addressed the concerns, nor the Heritage Foundation's targeting of his visa status.