Prince Harry has made a significant change to his official paperwork, which could suggest he has accepted his new life in the US and has no plans to return to the UK
Harry has switched his formal residential status from the UK to the US in paperwork filed in Britain (Image: AP)
It appears Prince Harry, feeling the deep wounds of his familial disillusionment, has firmly accepted his newly carved role across the pond in an emotional official change on record that suggests he’s not anticipating a cheery British reunion any day soon.
The Duke of Sussex, who traded the drizzly UK for sunny California four years ago alongside wife Meghan Markle and their young children, Archie and Lilibet, had to give up their Royal digs, Frogmore Cottage, at his brother King Charles’ behest – leaving him without a regal roost back home.
Now, hinting at permanent stateside plans, Harry switched his formal residential status from the UK to the US in paperwork filed in Britain. The paperwork pertains to Travalyst, his sustainable travel initiative.
Originally, Companies House listed Harry as a resident of Blighty upon the inception of Travalyst. However, a recent document submitted just 48 hours previously shows “new country/state usually resident” now reads ‘United States’, effective retroactively to 29 June 2023 – a date marking the bitter end of their access to Frogmore Cottage before relinquishing the keys.
The Sussexes were requested to leave their home at Frogmore Cottage (Image: Getty Images)
Last March, it emerged that King Charles had asked the Sussexes to leave their home at Frogmore Cottage, a property bestowed upon them as a wedding gift by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. Confirming the news, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stated, “We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.”
Royal commentator Phil Dampier shared his insights with the US Sun, suggesting that Prince Harry’s departure from Frogmore Cottage might indicate a severing of UK ties. Dampier remarked, “As always with Harry a lot can be read into his actions. Being ousted from Frogmore Cottage wounded him deeply,” and he also noted, “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.”
Despite moving away, Harry has occasionally returned to the UK and plans to attend a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral next month to mark ten years of the Invictus Games. However, his recent legal challenge hit a roadblock when his appeal was rejected after losing a High Court case over a Home Office decision to change his security arrangements while in the UK.
The Duke of Sussex has launched a legal battle against the Home Office after Ravec, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, decided in February 2020 that he would no longer receive the same level of taxpayer-funded security due to his altered “status” following his step back from active Royal duties, as detailed in court.
Prince Harry was left out of a major announcement with Travalyst (Image: Getty Images)
In January 2022, Harry’s legal representatives argued: “The U.K. will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in. With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk. Prince Harry hopes that his petition-after close to two years of pleas for security in the U.K.-will resolve this situation.”
Prince Harry has openly shared his feelings of being at home in the US, telling NBC: “Home for me, now, for the time being, is in the States. And it really feels that way, as well. We’ve been welcomed with open arms and have got such a great community up in Santa Barbara.”
Despite these sentiments, he suffered a blow on Monday when a judicial spokesperson revealed that Harry’s initial attempt to appeal a decision was unsuccessful. However, he still has the option to take his case directly to the Court of Appeal.
Prince Harry’s change was related to his travel initiative (Image: Getty Images)
In a surprise move, Prince Harry popped up at the annual general meeting of Travalyst, the sustainable travel initiative he founded. Addressing the travel industry via video link from Montecito, he urged them to better support local communities, saying: “Travel and tourism rely on destinations, held together by communities, without which we have nowhere to travel to. Communities are the beating heart of travel, and we must do better by the people who are the custodians of the places we visit.”
Despite some controversy, Prince Harry’s involvement with the eco-conscious travel project Travalyst remains steadfast. Launched in 2019, the London-based non-profit aims to transform the travel industry by collaborating with giants such as TripAdvisor and Skyscanner to promote sustainability.
However, there was a noticeable omission of Prince Harry’s name during a significant update last year when Travalyst moved out of its “pilot phase” and introduced a new board featuring five individuals with exceptional expertise. Furthermore, press releases have relegated his mention to the “about us” section, a downgrade from previous years where his role was highlighted at the forefront.
Despite his absence from the updated board announcement, Prince Harry’s dedication to the project remains unchanged. Travalyst CEO Sally Davey confirmed this in a statement, saying: ” Prince Harry is the founder of Travalyst and remains an invaluable part of this organisation. His role has not changed in any way, and he is regularly involved in strategic discussions and decisions alongside our partners and board.”
