Prince Harry's admission of drug use in his memoir, Spare, reveals his commitment to "being honest" about his life, despite sparking recent debates. The British morning show discussed Harry's openness about experimenting with psychedelic drugs, cocaine, magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, and marijuana, which have recently become the focus of attention.
The Heritage Foundation, a U.S.-based conservative group, is urging D.C. officials to release the prince's visa application. If Prince Harry had admitted to using recreational drugs on his Department of Homeland Security application, it is possible that his visa could have been denied. However, a legal expert previously told Newsweek that it is unlikely to cause any negative consequences now.
Jack Royston, Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, appeared on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain to defend Harry's disclosures. Royston argued that after signing multiple high-profile content creation deals, the prince has had to share details about his personal life, including drug use, which only impacts himself.
Royston stated, "He's got to give them something. Talking about drugs doesn't hurt other people and it's fine for us to have a debate about a counter argument, which is that psychedelic drugs can go terribly wrong for some people. But this is the guy's life story and he's being honest so why shouldn't he come out and just say it?"
In his memoir, Prince Harry shared his mental health journey, which was influenced by the death of his mother when he was 12 and his experiences serving in the British Armed Forces. After a therapist suggested he could have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Harry wrote that therapy and home remedies, including meditation and self-medication, helped him manage his past experiences.
In Spare, Prince Harry explained, "They didn't simply allow me to escape reality for a while, they let me redefine reality. Under the influence of these substances I was able to let go of rigid preconcepts, to see that there was another world beyond my heavily filtered senses, a world that was equally real and doubly beautiful-a world with no red mist, no reason for red mist. There was only truth."
However, some have criticized the prince for seemingly promoting the use of psychedelics. British TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp expressed her disapproval on Twitter, arguing that "if you have a vast platform you don't mouth off about using illegal drugs the trade in which kills people."
Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, drugs education advocate and founder of the DSM Foundation, also shared concerns that Harry's revelations could be seen as encouragement. She told ITV News that his comments about using drugs to cope with past trauma could be misunderstood as universally applicable.
Neither Prince Harry nor the royal household has responded to the criticism surrounding his discussion of drug use. The royal family has maintained a "no comment" stance on the prince's remarks in Spare and the interviews promoting the book.
