Prince Harry requested a legal assessment after the Home Office rejected his application for British police protection when he visited his home country, reports BBC.
– Prince Harry’s goal is simple – to ensure the safety of the family while they are in the UK so that his children can have a relationship with their home country, his lawyer wrote in a press release.
CASE: Prince Harry goes to court to ensure family safety while visiting England. Photo: NDZ / starmaxinc.com / PA / NTB
Prince Harry lost his right to tax-paid police protection after stepping down from his royal duties in 2020, along with his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Now the prince is pointing out that his personal US security team does not have sufficient jurisdiction in the UK.
“England will always be Harry’s home and the country he wants his wife and children to be safe. But with the lack of police protection, the personal risk is too great,” the statement said.
Will pay by myself
The prince himself wants to pay for every British security guard when he visits the UK, but has been refused by British authorities. At the same time, he is also not allowed to receive tax-paid police protection.
According to the prince’s lawyer, the Duke of Sussex inherited a security risk in his life as he is sixth in line to the British throne.
In addition, Harry has served in the British military in Afghanistan and his family has received countless threats since stepping down from his royal duties two years ago, which his lawyers say put him at risk.
SECURITY: Prince Harry has said he wants to bring his wife Duchess Meghan and their two children to the UK, but first there must be adequate police security. Photo: Andrew Kelly / Reuters / NTB
Haven’t met the queen yet
Harry himself had said that he wanted to visit his homeland more often with his family, but their safety had to be guaranteed.
This lack of protection is the reason why the prince visits his homeland so rarely, and why his wife Duchess Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lillibet, haven’t been to the UK since they moved to North America in 2020.
Princess Lillibet, who is now seven months old, has yet to meet her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, grandfather Prince Charles or any other family in Britain.
WITH FAMILY: Prince Harry with his wife Duchess Meghan and their son Archie when he was a baby. The couple today also have a daughter, Lillibet. Photo: Henk Kruger / AFP / NTB
Photographers chase
The legal challenge in the High Court, which is equivalent to Britain’s Supreme Court, comes after a security breach in London in 2021, when Harry’s car was chased by photographers as he left a charity event.
IN THE LIGHTS: Prince Harry has lived his entire life in the spotlight. His lawyers believe that despite the fact that his role in the royal family has changed, he still has a large royal profile in the public sector. Photo: Chris Jackson / Reuters / NTB
The prince’s lawyers argue that although Harry stepped down from his royal duties in 2020 and his role in the British royal family has changed, his profile as a member of the British royal family has not.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex fund a private security team for their families, but this security cannot recreate the police protection needed while they are in the UK,” they wrote in a press release.
Been fighting for almost two years
If the award wins in court, he will still want to pay for police protection himself, so as not to overtake British taxpayers.
A spokesman for the British authorities told the BBC that the UK’s security system was “strict and proportionate”, but would not provide details on schemes for individual safety.
According to the prince’s lawyer, Harry hopes his latest petition will resolve the situation, having been in the midst of a battle for security in his home country for nearly two years.
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