Prince Harry made an uncommon public appearance in Britain at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, where he is challenging the government over modifications made to his security following his retirement from royal responsibilities, which his lawyer deemed unjustifiable.
The younger son of King Charles, Prince Harry is seeking to reverse a decision made by the Home Office—which oversees policing—that ruled in February 2020 that he would no longer automatically receive personal police security while in Britain.
Last year, the High Court in London determined that the decision was lawful and denied him the opportunity to appeal that ruling in a higher court. However, the Court of Appeal has agreed to review the case after a direct request from Prince Harry’s legal team.
Arriving with a smile and a wave for the two-day hearing, Prince Harry listened attentively as proceedings began in a full courtroom, occasionally taking notes for his lawyers.
“This indicates that he has been subjected to different, unjustified, and lesser treatment,” she stated, emphasizing that he does not seek the same privileges he had while being an active royal family member.
In their written submissions, Prince Harry’s attorneys noted that al-Qaeda had recently called for his assassination, and he and his wife, Meghan Markle, experienced “a perilous car chase with paparazzi in New York City” in 2023.
According to the Sun newspaper, Prince Harry, 40, arrived from his home in California yesterday; however, it remains unclear whether he would meet any family members, from whom he has grown estranged following his public criticisms of them and royal aides.
King Charles and Prince Harry’s stepmother, Queen Camilla, are currently on a state visit to Italy to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.
Additionally, Prince Harry’s trip coincides with a prominent, bitter dispute with the chief executive of his charity, Sentebale, which he established in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Sophie Chandauka has accused him of bullying and racism, while Prince Harry, who resigned from his role at the charity, has described the situation as “heartbreaking.”
Evidence in private
At the beginning of today’s hearing, Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls and the second-highest judge in England and Wales, mentioned that some evidence could not be presented publicly but he aimed to have as much as possible disclosed openly.
Before stepping back from his royal duties and relocating to the US with Ms. Markle in March 2020, Prince Harry, along with other senior royals, had received full publicly funded security protection.
The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures subsequently decided that Harry would no longer be entitled to the same level of state-funded protection.
In its submission to the court, the government stated that his security would depend on circumstances, arguing that the prince’s appeal represented “a continued failure to see the bigger picture.”
Simply disagreeing with the decision and the ruling—which forms the core of the prince’s complaint—does not constitute valid grounds for an appeal, the submission emphasized.
Prince Harry’s legal battle against the government is one of several legal actions he has undertaken in recent years, including lawsuits against multiple British newspapers for privacy invasions and phone hacking.
