The Royal Forums - General News about the Sussex Family, Part One: May 2019

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Do we even know if they have moved to the US. The Sun isn't the most reliable source and to move to L.A. puts him right back at a place he hates in the lenses of a camera.

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Originally Posted by Hallo girl (Post 2304362)

One thing that might effect them going forward is the cost of security.
We are bring back retired police, special constables all to provide security.
The people in the UK are going to be paying for the effect of the virus for years through taxes etc, any money going to the sussexs might be a problem. As the say on here bad for the optics. They are contributing nothing to the UK at the moment.

I don't care where they decide to settle, but I know there will be a huge outcry if US taxpayers are expected to pay any security costs.

I expect they already have all the requisite documents and have been planning this move for a long time.

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Originally Posted by Mirabel (Post 2304378)

is this story true? I did wonder if they would settle in LA, but hardly would have expected it right now, when everything is so uncertain. I can't see that US tax payer would be expected to pay unless it was just a visit. They would get US protection on a trip.. at least I THINK they might still get it through they are not working royals any more.. But if they are settling in LA, I cant see t hat they would.

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Originally Posted by UglyAmerican (Post 2304357)

It's true that Meghan is a US citizen, and that as the spouse of a citizen, Harry is eligible for a green card. However, the process of acquiring it is going to present serious practical problems, and would have done so already had they not either lied or received preferential treatment.

Brits, like most other Europeans and a few other nationalities, can be admitted as visitors without any kind of visa under normal circumstances (which is not what's happening currently). However, a key criteria for being a visitor is that they can't intend to settle permanently in the US, or to work there. Immigration agents at the airport question all foreigners about the purpose of the trip, and someone not in possession of a green card or work permit who says "I'm moving here to be with my US-citizen wife and work to support ourselves" won't be allowed in. That's because they can't intend to be both an immigrant and a non-immigrant at the same time, they don't have the proper visa to be an immigrant, and they've just declared themself ineligible for entry as a visitor. I know a Brit who had that exact thing happen to her - she was refused entry and put back on the next plane to the UK. Even if Harry did manage to get in as a tourist, he wouldn't be allowed to work until he adjusted his status to either a marriage-based green card or some other kind of work visa, the latter being not at all realistic unless he's trading on his royal connections.

So maybe they (or just Harry) lied at the airport or border crossing, maybe he entered on whatever diplomatic credentials haven't expired yet (IIRC the 31st was the deadline, but I don't remember where I saw that), or maybe the immigration agent gave them special treatment. Regardless, his next step should be to apply for a green card, because absent significant special treatment, he can't just jet back and forth at will on visitor status while being married to an American and actually living in the US. (That's optimistically assuming the two countries resume nonessential tourist traffic in the near future, which they may not.) Applying for a green card from within the US has a lengthy wait time - a year or more in ordinary times, and God only knows how long under current circumstances with the pandemic. Harry effectively can't leave the US while he's waiting, because he won't be allowed back in for the same reason he wouldn't/shouldn't have been allowed in as a tourist. Assuming, of course, there's no special treatment.

Alternatively, they could have tried to do this through a US consular facility in Canada during their time there, so it's theoretically possible Harry could have already had an immigrant visa in-hand upon arrival in the US. This involves a fair amount of document-chasing and crowded-line-standing, and the couple would have to appear in person at the consulate, so I think it's unlikely that they wouldn't have been spotted and photographed. They've only been there for a few months, which is too short a time frame, and if they left Canada midway through the process, Harry shouldn't have been allowed to enter the US at all. If that's what they did, then they received enormous preferential treatment.

TL;DR: American spousal immigration rules are pretty terrible, and usually mean that a couple in this situation has to spend a year or more apart if the American spouse is determined to live in the US during that time. If Harry and Meghan manage to avoid that, it's reasonable to assume that they're either breaking the rules, being given special treatment, or both.

I don't think Harry could apply at the US embassy in Canada, because typically you would need to be a resident (either temporary or permanent) in a country to be able to use the embassy of such a country - as you would need to show that you are legally living in that country. I assume Harry wouldn't be able to do so; as he would most likely formally be 'a visitor', so would need to apply at the US embassy in the UK (which he might have done while in the UK earlier this month).

Regarding his diplomatic status, I do expect him to keep diplomatic status as the grandson of the queen and son of the future king. Typically family members of heads of states (including within republics where they are not expected to have any official role) seem to be treated this way; and whether Harry is a 'working member' of the family or not, shouldn't make a difference. I'm not sure about Meghan, as she is not a British citizen, so it would not make sense for her to receive diplomatic protection but she was representing the UK nonetheless during the first 1 1/2 years of her marriage, so I don't know which rules they had to bend for her to do so.

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Originally Posted by MARG (Post 2304370)

Do we even know if they have moved to th US. The Sun isn't the most reliable source and to move to L.A. puts him right back at a place he hates in the lenses of a camera.

Nothing has been confirmed as far as I know. I did wonder though, if this is true, if it has anything to do with Doria and Corona. I'm not sure what type of support system Doria has, but if she were my mum I'd be worried she'd get sick and I wouldn't be able to help. You know with the borders closing. That's how it feels with my own parents and they live 5 min. away and without borders.

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Originally Posted by Mirabel (Post 2304378)

American here and no there won’t be a huge outcry. She and Archie are Americans. Harry is Diana’s son. And we have far bigger fish to fry than to worry about the security costs of the Sussexes. It’s an election year. COVID-19 is running rampant due to incompetence. So, nah...they are fine. Welcome home, Meghan.

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Originally Posted by DuchessMia (Post 2304407)

I'm an American too and I disagree. Americans won't want to pay for their security anymore than Canadians did. Especially now with people out of work and struggling to make ends meet due to COVID-19 shutdowns.

Yes, Meghan and Archie are Americans but they don't require security as American citizens, they require it because they are members of a foreign royal family. The idea that the taxpayers of whatever country they chose to live in should pay their security is absurd.

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Originally Posted by DuchessMia (Post 2304407)

I'm also an American.
I can only speak for myself, of course, but I know I would not wish to pay a penny for their security and can't see why I should.
As you point out, it's an election year, and this issue will probably come up.
Nor do I think many Americans will care that Harry is Diana's son.

I think Corona has a huge impact on their agenda. Nobody will care for them in Britain for a very long time, they are not present in time of need and no matter how many altruistic posts they publish on their website, who cares?

And of course when Corona has finished with the world, no American will want to pay for foreign ex-royals, they will have their own A list celebrities lined up for whatever job the Sussexes were keen on, I am sorry but their momentum for global fame has gone.

Why would Americans pay for their security? They won't. The issue will be the UK still continuing to front the cost... if that is even still the case. It all ends on Tuesday, so likely am update will come then.

As for claiming who will or won't want to see them in the future? We don't know anything. Time will tell how all walks of life are seen. It will rightfully shift the views of everything. But I wouldn't claim to speak anything as fact because frankly we haven't a clue.

I don't believe that with all the hardship that will come over the world and over Britain, with possibly millions unemployed, any British government will pay millions for ex royals on foreign soil. They will me met with the full anger of a suffering nation. This is a no go. Imagine millions of pounds for Harry and his family in Malibu while people in the UK don't have jobs, are ill or cannot afford housing.

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Originally Posted by DuchessMia (Post 2304407)

American here, and I disagree ....Meghan and Harry fans think everyone adores them here, but that’s not so. The number of Royal followers in the States may seem like a lot because of social media, but most people aren’t on-line and most people don’t give a damn about them. People are dying, that’s the point - most people are not going to want our government, which is barely capable of dealing with this crisis, to pay one dollar for H and M’s security.

Another American here and I don’t care whose son he is. There are plenty of American Royal watchers who look at this couple with a side eye or rolled eyes. Moving to another country right now irresponsible, unsafe and arrogant when people in most every country told to shelter in place and practice social distancing.

I don't see where there'd really be any occasion for the US government to provide security for the Sussex family. If they were visiting the US at the request of the US government, the security and transportation would be provided for but seeing that, as of March 31st, their status within the US will be just ordinary, everyday private people, they'll most likely have to have their security detail come from their own sources (family, friends, themselves).

I can't think of any example of just why the US taxpayer would even be asked to provide security for this family.

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Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade (Post 2304430)

I Nobody will care for them in Britain for a very long time, they are not present in time of need and no matter how many altruistic posts they publish on their website, who cares?
.

They are no present in time of need. Unforgivable.

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Originally Posted by Reinosa (Post 2304447)

They are no present in time of need. Unforgivable.

They not doing anything different than the rest of the BRF. Posting helpful tips on social media and isolating themselves in their various second homes.

The Brits know their RF as symbols to be at their side when hardship comes over the country. Most famous is the example of the Queen Mother at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, when she refused to evacuate to Canada with the Princesses to be with the people.
As I said, nobody will care about some sophisticated messages on Sussex website from their luxury exile, wherever it may be. What counts is being there for the people in the country.

To be fair, when they jumped ship from the Royal Family, they couldn't have dreamt that a crisis like this was coming. But, as far as security goes, there really can't be any justification for either Britain, the US or Canada forking out millions of pounds/dollars when money's desperately needed for medical supplies and to help people who are unable to work due to lockdown.

I’m not sure why people think the US government would pay for the security of private citizens. Most likely any additional security needed would be paid for by local municipalities and so forth.

What kind of security would they need? I’m not clear on what people think that would look like.

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Originally Posted by DuchessMia (Post 2304407)

I live in Southern California and while I believe that she and her family will be welcomed, I'm not certain that the residents of the Golden State will want to pay for the family's long-term security costs. Especially in light of the huge costs that will be associated with COVID-19.