A royal expert believes Prince Harry may be deliberately provoking President Donald Trump in hopes of being deported back to the United Kingdom, ending his California exile with Meghan Markle.
The Duke of Sussex, 40 or 41, made headlines with pointed remarks about Trump during recent public appearances. On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Harry quipped about the U.S., “I heard you elected a king.” Days later, during a meeting of the British American Business Council in Santa Monica, California, he took another swipe at Trump’s border policies while discussing England’s and Scotland’s soccer teams participating in the World Cup in Los Angeles. “Next year, I know we are looking forward to welcoming more Brits from across the pond. Provided they behave, and if they make it through customs, and past ICE,” Harry said.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Globe Magazine that Harry’s provocative comments may not be coincidental. “If Harry’s home life is as unpleasant as we’ve seen, this may be a deliberate attempt to get deported. It’s entirely possible,” she said.
Harry’s immigration status has been under scrutiny since the Heritage Foundation sued the Department of Homeland Security seeking the release of his visa records. The conservative think tank questions whether Harry disclosed his past drug use on immigration forms. In his 2023 memoir “Spare,” Harry admitted using cocaine, cannabis, and magic mushrooms.
On March 18, 2025, Judge Carl Nichols ordered Harry’s visa documents unsealed. However, heavily redacted files released that day revealed little. A Department of Homeland Security lawyer stated that Harry’s application followed all “applicable rules and regulations.”
Despite the controversy, Trump signaled on February 7, 2025, that he wouldn’t pursue deportation. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible,” Trump told the New York Post.
Harry and Meghan, 44, left their United Kingdom palace duties in 2020 and relocated to Montecito, California, with their two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four. The couple’s relationship has been the subject of persistent speculation, with royal watchers noting they sometimes appear to be living separate lives.
Meanwhile, Harry has been working to resolve his security concerns in the United Kingdom. He lost his appeal challenging the government’s decision to strip him of publicly funded security. The Home Office is conducting a new security risk assessment following months of negotiations with his father, King Charles III. Harry wrote privately to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood requesting a full security risk assessment.
A palace source claimed Harry is “secretly begging his father to take him back,” raising questions about Meghan’s future if Harry returns to Britain. The couple’s diverging paths have become increasingly apparent, with Meghan building her brand through Netflix projects and social media while Harry focuses on obtaining United Kingdom security protection.
Harry met King Charles at Clarence House in September. The monarch’s health has added complexity to the father-son relationship, strained by Harry’s royal exit and subsequent public criticism of the family.
Fordwich questioned the couple’s compatibility, noting their diverging interests. She observed that Meghan is building her brand through her Netflix show and social media presence, while Harry wants to have protection in the United Kingdom, suggesting they are going in two completely different directions.
Royal insiders believe that if Harry’s home life has become unbearable, provoking Trump into deportation could provide an honorable exit from California without Harry appearing to abandon his marriage.
The Heritage Foundation’s legal battle began after the Department of Homeland Security refused a Freedom of Information request for Harry’s visa files. The organization argued that Harry may have lied about drug use on his immigration paperwork, which could have resulted in denied entry or additional questioning when he moved to the United States in 2020.
Judge Nichols later reconsidered and ordered the release of as much material as possible. The documents released on March 18, 2025, contained extensive redactions to protect Harry’s privacy and prevent harassment.
The Department of Homeland Security’s declaration emphasized that releasing Harry’s complete immigration status could expose him to harm from members of the public and unwanted media contact. The agency rejected speculation about preferential treatment, stating the records showed regulatory processes were followed in compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Trump’s decision not to pursue deportation likely relieved King Charles, according to royal experts. Deportation would create endless publicity and put the spotlight back on Harry and Meghan.
As Harry continues navigating his complicated situation in California, his provocative comments about Trump and American politics suggest a man increasingly conflicted about his exile from Britain. Whether his remarks represent deliberate strategy or simple frustration remains unclear, but they have certainly kept his immigration status and future in the United States firmly in the public eye.
