The Duke of Sussex is taking legal action against the government to allow him to pay for Metropolitan police security for him and his family when they visit the UK.
Prince Harry lost his taxpayer-funded police protection when he and Meghan, the duch*ess of Sussex stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The couple privately funds their security in the US, where they now live.
Harry is seeking a judicial review against a Home Office decision not to allow him police protection when in the UK, which he states he is happy to pay for.
His legal representatives claim his private security team does not have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to UK intelligence information necessary to protect him, his wife and their children, Archie and Lilibet.
A legal representative said the duke was “unable to return to his home” because it was too dangerous.
The couple’s bid for a judicial review was filed in September, according to the Mail on Sunday, which first revealed the legal action.
If the case progresses, it will lead to a high court battle between ministers and Harry, thought to be the first occasion in modern times when a member of the royal family has brought a case against the government.
Harry’s concerns follow an incident in London in 2021, when he returned to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and his security was compromised after his car was reportedly chased by photographers as he left a charity event.
Security provision for the couple was one of the key issues when they announced they were stepping down as working royals. Their website at the time suggested they believed the Home Office, through the Metropolitan police, should continue to provide protection for the family.
They disclosed they had put in place privately funded security after the then president, Donald Trump, said the US would not pay for their protection. Harry later told the chatshow host Oprah Winfrey they were paying for private security through deals they secured with Netflix and Spotify.
Harry’s uncle, the Duke of York, is facing calls to pay for his own security as the fallout from Andrew’s civil sex assault case continues.
In a statement, the Duke of Sussex’s legal representative said: “The UK will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in. With the lack of police protection comes too great a personal risk.”
The representative added: “The Duke and duch*ess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.
“The duke first offered to pay personally for UK police protection for himself and his family in January of 2020 at Sandringham. That offer was dismissed. He remains willing to cover the cost of security, as not to impose on the British taxpayer. As is widely known, others who have left public office and have an inherent threat risk receive police protection at no cost to them.
“The goal for Prince Harry has been simple – to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the UK so his children can know his home country. During his last visit to the UK in July 2021 – to unveil a statue in honour of his late mother – his security was compromised due to the absence of police protection, whilst leaving a charity event.
“After another attempt at negotiations was also rejected, he sought a judicial review in September 2021 to challenge the decision-making behind the security procedures, in the hopes that this could be re-evaluated for the obvious and necessary protection required.”
A government spokesperson said: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our longstanding policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements. To do so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.
“It would also not be appropriate to comment on the detail of any legal proceedings.”
