WILL BABY SUSSEX GET AMERICAN PASSPORT?
Royal couple want son to be ‘global citizen’
PRINCE Harry and Meghan may apply for their newborn son to have both British and US passports.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex want their as- yetunnamed child to grow up a global citizen, royal insiders have
said. The couple have made no secret of their wish to be the ‘inclusive’ face of the monarchy.
The boy would be entitled to a US passport because his mother was born in Los Angeles and is still an American citizen. His parents would first have to apply for American citizenship on his behalf. A senior source stressed nothing has been decided yet, but added: ‘I think it is likely that they will.’
The baby – temporarily known as Baby Sussex – was welcomed into the Royal Family yesterday by his overjoyed relatives and will be unveiled to the public today.
The Daily Mail revealed that Meghan’s plans for a home birth were
scuppered with a last-minute dash to hospital on Sunday. Among other developments yesterday:
Prince William welcomed his brother to the ‘sleep deprivation society that is parenting’;
His wife Kate described it as ‘such a special time’ and said they were ‘looking forward to meeting him and finding out what his name’s going to be’;
Prince Charles spoke of his pleasure to find himself ‘the grandfather of a brand new grandson’ and said how excited he and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, were about meeting the baby when they return on Friday from an official visit to Germany;
The Queen exclaimed excitedly at an official engagement that she was now a proud greatgrandmother of eight;
Sources told the Mail that despite plans for Meghan to have a home birth the baby was so overdue that she was forced to deliver him in hospital, believed to be the exclusive Portland in central London;
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Harry and Meghan will unveil their new son to the world at a photocall at Windsor Castle today;
In a break with tradition, the couple have apparently insisted on US broadcaster CBS being there to witness the moment.
The news that the couple may seek a US passport for their baby ties in with their desire for their son – and any future children – to be what another source has described as a ‘global citizen’. The insider said: ‘Their royal highnesses both have enormous respect for the institution of the monarchy and this country, and want their family to have an outward looking approach,’ the source said.
‘It’s about their children being aware of and understanding the wider world and their place in it. They want them to take an active interest in the global community, working towards a fairer society and more sustainable way of living.’
Referring to the naming of the couple as Commonwealth ambassadors by the Queen, the source added: ‘The Commonwealth, that family of 53 nations of which the Queen is so rightly proud, is a perfect example of how globalism can work.’
The couple are exploring the option of living and working in Africa for long periods as well as spending ‘quality time’ in other parts of the world. While aides have dismissed claims they plan to move abroad semi-permanently, they confirm that the Sussexes are potentially keen to spend three or four months a year living with their family in different regions of the world.
This would allow them to ‘immerse’ themselves properly in the issues being faced by local communities, particularly in terms of education, the environment and conservation.
It is also thought that Meghan, 37, will continue to regularly visit the country of her birth. Her mother, Doria, lives in Los Angeles and she has many friends in the US. It will be easier for her to do this if her children have American passports.
The duchess announced in the runup to her wedding that she would seek to apply for British citizenship at the appropriate time – a minimum of five years after living in the UK.
But Kensington Palace deliberately chose not to confirm whether she would renounce her US citizenship at the same time.
Speaking last year, a spokesman said: ‘Miss Markle will be compliant with all immigration requirements at all times and has, of course, taken advice on that throughout this process.
‘I can also say that she intends to become a UK citizen and will go through the process of that, which can take a number of years.
‘ She will retain US citizenship throughout the process.’
The spokesman added that it had not yet been decided whether she would retain dual nationality.
According to the US Department of State, a baby born outside the United States to one American parent can acquire US citizenship at birth if that parent has been in the US for at least five years, two of them before they turned 14, prior to the birth.
As Meghan was born and grew up in Los Angeles, she meets these rules, meaning her son would be granted citizenship. She and Harry would have to contact the US embassy in London to apply for a ‘Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America’.
A CRBA is proof of US citizenship and may be used to obtain an American passport or even to apply to attend school in the United States.
The baby will be liable for US taxes if he is made a US citizen. American law dictates that income, wherever it is generated, is legally entitled to be taxed back in the States.
David Treitel, founder of American Tax Returns Ltd, which provides taxation advice to expats, last month told CNN: ‘The United States has – unique among nations – a citizenship-based taxation system, so as long as Meghan is a citizen of the United States she is taxed.
‘The baby is being born to a United States citizen and that ... little boy or girl, who comes along in the next few weeks, will automatically be a citizen of the United States simply because her mother is. No one has ever faced this circumstance before.
‘Ultimately, the law states that all income, everywhere is taxed unless it is exempt. If the baby has income, Meghan has income, they are taxed.’
‘Working in Africa for long periods’