Can Royal Family Members Have Dual Citizenship?
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When Prince Harry and wife Duchess Meghan jetted off to the U.S. back in 2020, it raised lots of questions about how dual citizenship works for members of the royal family. Are these figureheads allowed to have more than one citizenship? Will other countries accept their applications as citizens even if they’re rulers of a different country?
Well, these thoughts recently resurfaced when the Duke of Sussex sat down for an interview with Good Morning America, where he discussed his thoughts on becoming a U.S. citizen. “American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind, but certainly not something that’s a high priority for me right now,” he told GMA’s Will Reeve. “Do I feel American? No. I don’t know how I feel.”
However, despite not necessarily “feeling” American, the royal still remarked that living in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two kids, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, is “amazing.” He added, “I love every single day.”
So, what would the process be like if Prince Harry did decide to become a U.S. citizen? Here's everything we know.
Can royal family members become citizens of other countries?
Well, yes and no. According to a post from the Norris McLaughlin law firm, Prince Harry could become a citizen of the U.S., however, he would have to renounce any title or order of nobility he holds before he is able to acquire U.S. citizenship, per the Immigration and Nationality Act. They also note that if Prince Harry became a U.S. citizen, he would likely have to pay worldwide taxes.
However, that is from the American side of things, and there is no official law in the U.K. that prevents Harry from becoming a citizen of another country, because it is the monarch who determines citizens. So, if Harry decided to become a U.S. citizen, King Charles III could theoretically allow him to hold onto his title as Duke of Sussex (however, it might cause some serious controversy if he does).
What about people who marry into the royal family?
You may be wondering about Duchess Meghan, who married Prince Harry as an American citizen. Did she get automatic U.K. citizenship when she married into the family?
The answer is no, and the Duchess of Sussex actually talked about the process of taking the British citizenship test during an episode of her Archetypes podcast. “That citizenship exam is so hard!” the Suits star remarked in the 2022 episode. “I was studying for it, and I remember going, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I would ask my husband, ‘Did you know this? Did you know this?’ And people went, ‘Oh, I had no idea.’”
However, despite the fact that she took the test, Meghan is not a U.K. citizen because she did not live in the country long enough to obtain citizenship (the required time is three years). She ultimately abandoned these plans when she and Harry moved their family to the U.S. in 2020.
Still, this proves that, despite being an American citizen, Meghan would’ve been eligible to be a U.K. citizen as well.
Do royal family members require passports?
As noted on the official royal family website, all members require passports to travel overseas, except for the monarch of the United Kingdom.
An update from the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign reads: “When travelling overseas, The Queen does not require a British passport. As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one. All other members of the Royal Family, including The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales, have passports.”
So, this same rule would apply for King Charles, who took over the post of monarch when his mother passed away in September 2022.
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