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Prince Harry cuts ties with UK as he formally makes the US his home

The Duke of Sussex officially changed his residency last June when he and Meghan were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage

Emma Guinness
Thursday 18 April 2024 09:23 BST
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Prince Harry has changed his primary country of residence from the UK to the US, according to official documents.

The Duke of Sussex also appears to have backdated his official American residency to the day he was booted out of Frogmore Cottage, in an apparant swipe at his father, King Charles, and brother William.

The change of address was filed for his eco firm Travalyst, on Wednesday, although the date of change listed is June 29 last year, the date he was asked by the King to to return the keys to his Windsor bolthole.

Updated Company House records filed this week indicated that Harry declared the United States his “new country” of residence, dashing rumours that he was planning a return to frontline duties amid cancer battles for Charles and Kate.

He and Meghan moved to California in 2020 after quitting Britain and stepping down as working royals.

Frogmore Cottage had been a wedding gift to the pair from the late Queen Elizabeth, therefore when Charles is said to have asked the pair to leave - a decision that laid bare the deterioration of their relationship - it left his youngest son “deeply wounded”.

Publically available documents from Companies House demonstrate that “Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex” changed his “New Country/State Usually Resident” to the United States on June 29.

Prince Harry has not had a UK address in almost a year
Prince Harry has not had a UK address in almost a year (REUTERS)

It is believed that prior to being asked to leave, Prince Harry wanted to keep a base in his home country.

Phil Dampier, a Royal author, told The Sun: “Charles and William knew it had to be done to emphasise Harry and Meghan were outside The Firm but he probably still thought he could keep a base here. Now he’s shown he accepts his life is in the US.”

The Duke of Sussex has since said that he has “considered” becoming an American citizen, but this would cost him his Royal titles.

“The thought has crossed my mind but not a high priority right now,” he admitted on Good Morning America earlier this year.

The news comes amid a highly-publicised review of Prince Harry’s visa application.

It is being reviewed in private after the prince made candid revelations about his prior drug use in his 2023 memoir Spare.

Prince Harry’s visa is currently being reviewed after he admitted to taking various drugs
Prince Harry’s visa is currently being reviewed after he admitted to taking various drugs (REUTERS)

He wrote: “Psychedelics did me some good as well. I’d experimented with them over the years, for fun, but now I’d begun to use them therapeutically, medicinally. They didn’t simply allow me to escape reality for a while.”

This prompted an investigation into whether or not he lied on his application, as questions about prior drug use must be answered by potential US residents.

The Heritage Foundation, a think tank group, subsequently launched a lawsuit against the prince to get to the bottom of the matter.

A representative for the group said: “[The case] comes about in the main because HRH [His Royal Highness] voluntarily—and for immense profit—admitted in writing to the elements of any number of controlled substance violations.”

The Independent has reached out to a representative for Prince Harry for comment.

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