The Duke of Sussex arrived at a London court on Tuesday to challenge the British government’s decision to downgrade his level of taxpayer-funded security while he is visiting the United Kingdom.
After Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced they were stepping down as working members of the Royal Family in 2020, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) decided the couple would no longer be given the “same degree” of protection when in the country.
While he no longer uses the HRH title, Harry is still a member of the British royal family and fifth in line to the British throne.
In a rare visit to the UK since moving to California, Harry, the younger son of King Charles, arrived at London’s Court of Appeal for a two-day hearing in which he is challenging the decision by the Home Office, the ministry responsible for the committee.
He is not expected to give evidence during the two-day hearing, and a written ruling is expected at a later date.
Harry has often voiced his fears over his family’s safety and has been critical of press intrusion which he blames for the death of his mother, Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris.
During the full hearing of Harry’s claim in late 2023, the duke told the court in a statement the UK is “central to the heritage of my children,” Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and that he wants them to “feel at home” in the UK as much as in the United States.
“I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too,” his statement said.
Harry’s lawyers told the court that he felt “singled out” by the Ravec decision, while the government argued that Ravec was obliged to approach matters “on a case-by-case basis.”
Harry’s legal action against the Home Office at the time was unsuccessful and the court initially refused him permission to appeal. However, the Court of Appeal agreed in June 2024 to hear the duke’s case, following a direct application from Harry’s lawyers.
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This legal case was one of several that Harry has undertaken in the UK. In January, Harry said he had secured a “monumental victory” by settling his case over allegations of unlawful information gathering conducted by Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group.
The duke had sued News Group Newspapers (NGN) – publisher of British tabloids The Sun and the now-shuttered News of the World – claiming journalists and private investigators working for the publications had targeted him and his family between 1996 and 2011.
Tuesday’s appeal comes shortly after the prince quit as patron of Sentabele, a charity he co-founded in honor of his mother to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. Sophie Chandauka, the charity’s chair, accused Harry of bullying and misogyny. Harry said he had resigned “in shock” and “heartbroken.” The UK charities watchdog announced last week it had opened a regulatory compliance case.
Harry’s father, King Charles, will not be in the UK during the two-day security arrangements hearing. Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, are on a state visit to Italy, where they received a full ceremonial welcome on Tuesday morning, meeting President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace before viewing a flypast by the Frecce Tricolori and Red Arrows.
