Prince Harry is not seeking American citizenship.
“Am I going to become a U.S. citizen?” Harry, 41, said during his Wednesday, October 29, appearance on the “Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know” podcast. “There are no plans to be at this point.”
Harry, 41, said that despite living in America for five years, things are “more confusing” to him than ever. However, he failed to elaborate on what that meant. (He and wife Meghan Markle relocated to California when they parted ways with the royal family in 2020.)
The Duke of Sussex’s admission about his citizenship comes months after questions about his immigration status went public this past March.
Prince Harry on Life in U.S. With Meghan, Kids: ‘What My Mom Wanted for Me’
The drama started in March 2024 when it was revealed that Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, was in a legal battle with the Department of Homeland Security to release Harry’s visa application. The request was denied by that September.
The Heritage Foundation’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request alleged that Harry concealed past drug use, which wouldn’t allow him to obtain a U.S. visa. (Harry detailed his use of cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in his 2023 memoir, Spare.)
By February of this year, the Department of Homeland Security agreed to release a redacted version of the application. The 82-page document went public in March and was heavily blacked out. It did not reveal Harry’s immigration status or any discussion regarding past drug use.
“To release his exact status could subject him to reasonably foreseeable harm in the form of harassment as well as unwanted contact by the media and others,” chief FOIA officer for the Department of Homeland Security Jarrod Panter shared in a statement at the time. “There is the potential of harm in the form of harassment if his exact [redacted] is revealed. Thus, there [are] significant privacy interests involved in the records.”
While the drama was not addressed during Wednesday’s podcast episode, Harry did reveal other quintessential American things that he does — and doesn’t — do.
Prince Harry Experienced ‘Struggle’ Finding His Place Years After Royal Exit
He does not drink Coors Light or wear shorts in restaurants, although he said that has nothing to do with moving to America.
“I don’t really have legs for shorts,” he explained. “I got chicken legs. No one should see my legs in a restaurant.”
On a more serious note, Harry discussed his two kids — Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4 — whom he shares with wife Meghan, 44.
“They know that we help other people, but they don’t know the background,” Harry said when asked whether they know what his job actually is.
A bulk of Harry’s appearance on the podcast was actually about kids and the digital generation. Harry said that he and Meghan “talk a lot” about the possibility of their kids asking for cellphones.
“I think that, because of what we know now, we will be way more cautious and hesitant of allowing our kids to have access to social media,” he said. “The problem is, so many parents don’t have that awareness. In no logical, fair, ethical, moral world should a parent have to consider that this app that sits on the phone — which, by the way, having a phone for your kid is a really important thing.”
