The UK government decided to alter Prince Harry’s personal protection level when he visits the nation, and he lost a legal challenge to that decision on Wednesday.
In February 2020, Harry filed a lawsuit against the government after learning that he would not receive the “same degree” of publicly sponsored protection while he was in Britain.
Sir Peter Lane, a High Court judge, made the decision on Wednesday morning. Prince Harry has lost the case, according to the top legal authority.
After leaving for America in 2020 with his bride Meghan Markle, the Duke of Sussex was incensed to learn that he was no longer eligible for protection by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is overseen by the Home Office. Following several court hearings, the Duke was granted the opportunity to contest the ruling in part in July 2022.
His team contended at the time that his crew, which was located in the US, lacked the jurisdiction in Britain to adequately protect him. They added that the taxpayer will incur no expenses in his hire of police officers for the duration of his travels. The conclusion reached was that the decision made on February 28, 2020, was not unlawful. The judge determined that any policy deviation was appropriate. He went on to say that there was no procedural injustice or irrationality in the decision.
With assistance from the Cabinet Office, the Metropolitan Police, and the royal household, Ravec has assigned the Home Office the task of providing protective security measures for members of the royal family and others. The judge dismissed the duke’s argument, finding that Ravec’s strategy was not procedurally unjust nor unreasonable.
Sir Peter said that Harry’s attorneys had adopted “an inappropriate, formalist interpretation of the Ravec process” in his 52-page partially redacted decision.
King Charles was seen leaving his London residence shortly after the decision was made, only minutes after Prince Harry’s judicial struggle for his personal security was unsuccessful.
The Duke of Sussex was “singled out” and was receiving “less favorably” treatment, according to what his attorneys had previously informed the court.
The Home Office declared that they were “pleased” that the court decided against Prince Harry after the decision this morning.
According to a spokesman, “We are happy that the Court upheld the Government’s position in this case, and we are carefully evaluating our next course of action.” More commentary would be improper.
“The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”