Why We Suspect Prince Harry Won't Become A U.S. Citizen Anytime Soon
Despite being son of the British monarch, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex has now notably made his home in California along with his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and their two kids, Archie and Lilibet. Prince Harry really seems to feel at home in California, and if they plan to make the Golden State their permanent home, it might make sense for him to take the step of becoming a U.S. citizen. However, we have our doubts that he'll be doing it in the near future — or at all.
To start with, Prince Harry has said that he has other things going on. While he was in Whistler, British Columbia helping to promote the first-ever winter Invictus Games, set for 2025, he was asked how he liked living in the U.S. in an interview for "Good Morning America." He replied: "It's amazing. I love every single day." But you don't have to be a citizen to love living somewhere with your family. When asked directly about whether he'd formally become an American, he said, "The American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind, but certainly is not something that is a high priority for me right now."
Along with his work with the Invictus Games, he's a father to two young children, which as anyone knows can be more than a full-time job. Then there's the stress and worry about his father King Charles III, as he undergoes cancer treatment.
Prince Harry might have to give up his dukedom as an American citizen
Another potential reason Prince Harry might hold off on becoming an official American citizen comes down to titles. Harry gave up part of his title when he and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020, and they lost the right to use the honorific "HRH" — his and her royal highness. If Harry became a U.S. citizen, it could mean giving up his title of Duke of Sussex. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services outlines what it takes to become a citizen, and in the section on "The Oath of Allegiance," it reads, "Any applicant who has any titles of heredity or positions of nobility in any foreign state must renounce the title or the position."
There are some arguments that wouldn't necessarily apply to Harry, but there would likely be extended debates over whether he was getting potentially special treatment if he didn't give up the title. There was already concern by some that he got special treatment over being allowed to stay in the U.S. at all considering his admitted past drug use — one organization even went so far as to sue President Joe Biden's administration to see Harry's visa application.
Prince Harry's family is using the name Sussex
Since it's not 100% clear whether or not Prince Harry would have to give up the title of Sussex if he became a U.S. citizen, it seems unlikely that it's something he'd pursue until he knew he could keep it, especially since Harry and Meghan Markle are using Sussex as their family name. Even the royal family website now lists Harry and Meghan's kids as Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex; before, they'd been referred to with the last name Mountbatten-Windsor. The name change for the family is also featured on Sussex.com, Harry and Meghan's rebranded website. So it would seem awkward for them to keep using the name if the title had been removed, and it's very much, and quite literally, now a part of their brand.
Meghan started taking the steps to becoming a British citizen, and she made it so far as to pass the citizenship test. However, she didn't meet the residency requirement of living there at least three years. Their children, however, are both dual citizens.