The US government has blocked the release of Prince Harry's visa records

Jimmy Wolfrey, a senior DHS official, wrote: "To the extent records exist, this office does not find a public interest in disclosure sufficient to override the subject's privacy interests,"

Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, said the response "shows an appalling lack of transparency by the Biden Administration" and vowed to continue campaigning for the records to be released.

He added: "The Department of Homeland Security's efforts to stonewall the Heritage Foundation's Freedom of Information request are unacceptable, and we will be contesting their position."

The case will now return to Washington federal court.

In his memoir, Harry candidly confessed to using cocaine and cannabis, as well as consuming magic mushroom chocolates at a party hosted by 'Friends' actress Courteney Cox, 58, in 2016.

The book's release and the subsequent media frenzy prompted the Heritage Foundation to demand the release of Harry's visa application through a Freedom of Information request, which the government has so far denied.

As part of the visa application process, immigrants seeking entry or permanent residence in the US are required to disclose their history of drug use.

According to US immigration laws, individuals deemed "drug abusers" are classified as "inadmissible", although immigration officials have discretion to waive these rules on a case-by-case basis.

The Heritage Foundation's pursuit of Harry's immigration records aims to uncover what he revealed to the authorities during his application, whether a waiver was granted, and who made the decision.

In a statement, the think tank asserted: "The American people deserve answers to the serious questions raised by the evidence. Did (the) DHS (Department of Homeland Security), in fact, turn a blind eye, show favouritism, or fail to appropriately address any potential false statements by Prince Harry?"

Following their decision to step down as working members of the royal family, Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 41, moved to Los Angeles in March 2020.

If it is found Harry, who has Prince Archie, four, and two-year-old Princess Lilibet with Meghan, provided false information about drug use on his immigration forms, he could potentially face deportation and the loss of his US residency status.