In a
different thread, I argued that European royals (in this case British royals in particular) in practice have to
give up certain civil rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, freedom of association. or the right to vote, even though they are not strictly speaking required by law to do so, or may face
actual statutory limitations on the exercise of other civil rights and freedoms such as freedom of religion or the right to marry. In fact, Meghan once famously mentioned on American TV, with an apparent sense of indignation, that " her husband had never voted".
Harry, however, is no longer a working royal or a resident of the United Kingdom, and no longer has any official role in the UK. To what extent then do the usual limitations on the civil rights and freedoms of royals apply to him now or not?
Harry of course is not a US citizen and, accordingly, does not have the right to vote in US elections. As the First Amendment applies to all persons who live in the United States and are subject to the jurisdiction thereof, and not just to citizens, I suppose Harry is entitled to voice his opinions on US politics although, if he is still seen as having an official connection to the British Crown (i.e., the British State), that could be interpreted as a possible foreign interference on the US elections, which can be a diplomatically sensitive issue.
As an expatriate (i.e., non-resident) British citizen, Harry has, on the other hand, the right under UK law to register to vote by mail from abroad in
British national elections (note: he can't vote in either local or supralocal elections). He doesn't need to have been on the UK electoral roll before either, as he can be registered as a voter in the constituency (i.e., electoral district) where his last permanent address in the UK was located. I suppose that, in Harry's case, that would be the constituency where Frogmore Cottage is located.
Should Harry register to vote in the United Kingdom then? And, in the United States, should he get involved in US election campaigns?
Please feel free to move the discussion to another forum if necessary.
