Prince Harry has been accused of bragging and promoting the use of illegal drugs in his memoir "Spare" in recent court papers filed against the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation.
The group is suing Joe Biden's administration in a bid to force officials to release details of the royal's immigration details to see if he admitted to using prohibited drugs in his visa application. The group is alleging that the government showed favorable treatment when he applied for a U.S. visa.
The Duke of Sussex admitted in his memoir Spare", released this year on Jan. 10, that he used various illicit drugs during his wild, partying years. He said he took cocaine, cannabis, magic mushrooms and ayahuasca and even shared that psychedelics did him "some good".
The revelations have prompted the Heritage Foundation to dig into his visa application. The group took the matter to court after being denied access to the duke's application records by the DHS on the basis of the applicant's right to privacy.
But the foundation argued that Prince Harry undermined his right to privacy when he publicised not just his past illegal drug use but "selling every aspect of his private life" in his memoir.
"(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. (Indeed, some say HRH has approached the point of bragging and encouraging illegal drug use.)," reads the court filing Heritage submitted at the Federal Court in the District of Columbia seen by Newsweek.
The document continued: "The Duke of Sussex did so despite the fact that it is widely known that such admissions can have adverse immigration consequences for non-citizens and despite employing preeminent legal advisors on both sides of the Atlantic."
"But that is not all. This case is further bespoke in that HRH—again for immense profit—detailed his immigration decisions and manner of entry in writing and via Netflix video. Add to that the fact that all aspects of HRH's travel are extensively covered in the press," the papers added.
The Heritage Foundation claimed that Prince Harry's royal status "significantly reduces his privacy interests" and alleged that he has "sold all manner of private matters for profit, including specific details on his taking up residence in the United States and every detail of his years of illegal drug use to the point of braggadocio". The group asserted that the duke "must take the good with the bad" and "accept a substantially diminished privacy interest".
Prince Harry has previously declined to comment on the case. He has also not consented to the release of his U.S. visa application records. He allegedly risks being deported if found that he lied about his illegal drug use in his application.
