Protection of privacy US court denies access to Harry's entry documents
In his autobiography, Prince Harry spoke out about drug use. A conservative think tank suspected a violation in his US visa application and demanded the publication of documents.
25.09.2024, 08:54
dpa
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- A US court has ruled that Prince Harry's immigration documents will not be made public to protect his privacy.
- A conservative think tank demanded the release as it suspected Harry had violated US immigration rules after admitting to drug use in the autobiography.
- The court found that Harry's legitimate interest in privacy outweighed the public interest in the documents.
British Prince Harry's (40) entry documents for the USA may not be published. This was decided by a court in Washington, as reported by the British news agency PA.
A conservative think tank had sued for publication because it suspected a breach of immigration rules. In his autobiography "Spare", the younger son of King Charles III (75) admitted to having consumed drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. He wrote about cocaine: "It didn't do me any good." Marijuana, on the other hand, had "really helped" him.
In the opinion of the think tank The Heritage Foundation, Harry should not have been allowed to enter the USA against this background; among other things, it demanded to see the information Harry had provided in his visa application.
Harry has a legitimate interest in privacy
The public interest in Prince Harry's entry documents is not high and is outweighed by the royal's legitimate interest in privacy, explained Judge Carl Nichols according to PA. "Like any foreign national, the Duke has a legitimate interest in the protection of his privacy in relation to his immigration status," it continued.
The fifth in line to the British throne has been living with his wife Duchess Meghan (43) and their two children Prince Archie (5) and Princess Lilibet (3) in the US state of California for several years.
The couple had previously broken away from the inner circle of the royal family. The relationship with the other royals is considered to have broken down. Harry's comments in his autobiography published last year are said to have contributed to this. Harry has fallen out with his father and brother Prince William (42) in particular.
