Prince Harry confirms he is now a US resident despite drug use admission in Spare biography

London: Prince Harry, second son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a US resident.

Four years after Harry and his American wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, decamped to a villa in Southern California, a travel company he controls filed paperwork this week informing British authorities that he has moved and is now “usually resident” in the United States.

The formal acknowledgment underscores the prince’s increasing estrangement from Britain, after he and Meghan walked away from royal duties to pursue lucrative media deals in America. Since then, Harry has repeatedly criticised the royal family, including allegations of unconscious racism that were included in a Netflix series and his autobiography, Spare.

Prince Harry at the F1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, last year.Credit: AP

The paperwork was filed by Travalyst Ltd, a company at least 75 per cent owned by Harry and founded in 2020 to “to promote global awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism”. The documentation was received by Companies House, the government agency that oversees the incorporation of UK companies.

The filing further separates Harry from his role as one of the king’s counsellors of state – members of the royal family who can be deputised to carry out the duties of the monarch if he is unwell or out of the country.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in her office at home in Montecito, california.

While Harry formally remains a counsellor of state, the crown informed parliament in 2022 that “in practice” only working members of the royal family would be called upon to fill in for the monarch.

Although the couple have put down roots in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, where they are raising their young son and daughter, Harry was facing scrutiny about his US residency.