Prince Harry confirms he is now a US resident

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for the 2024 Royal Salute Polo Challenge to Benefit Sentebale, on April 12. Harry is now a US resident. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has formally confirmed he is now a US resident.

The acknowledgment is said to underscore the prince’s increasing estrangement from Britain, after he and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, walked away from royal duties four years ago.

A travel company he controls has filed paperwork this week informing British authorities that he has moved and is now “usually resident” in the United States.

The paperwork was filed by Travalyst Ltd, a company at least 75% owned by Harry and which was founded in 2020 to “to promote global awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism”.

The documentation was received on Monday by Companies House, the government agency that oversees the incorporation of UK companies.

Prince Harry is the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne. The filing further separates Harry from his role as one of King Charles’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.

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.

Harry and his American wife moved to live in a villa in the wealthy enclave of Montecito, Southern California, in 2020.

Since then, Harry has repeatedly criticised the royal family, including allegations of unconscious racism that were included in a Netflix series and the prince’s autobiography, Spare.

The Duke of Sussex is also facing scrutiny about his US residency. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative thinktank, has questioned the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to grant Harry a US visa after admissions of drug use that were included in Spare.

The foundation has asked a judge to force the department to release Harry’s immigration file because a history of drug use would normally disqualify an applicant from being granted a visa.

The news of Harry’s updated residency status comes as Britain’s Prince William returned to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales, revealed she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy for cancer.

William appeared in good spirits as he chatted and helped out staff on a visit to a surplus food redistribution charity. One volunteer handed him “get well soon” cards for Kate and King Charles, who is also undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.

Earlier this week, Harry lost an initial attempt to appeal against a high court decision to back a reduction in his level of personal security when visiting the UK.

Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report