Prince Harry LOSES first attempt to challenge ruling on removing publicly-funded security
Duke was stripped of his round-the-clock royal protection after Megxit
PRINCE Harry today lost the first round of his legal bid to challenge a decision to remove his publicly-funded security.
The Duke of Sussex’s round-the-clock royal protection was downgraded in the wake of Megxit.
2
Harry is attempting to appeal against the decision
Harry vowed to appeal against the ruling but fell at the first hurdle in his legal bid today after being blocked from challenging it.
He can however ask the Court of Appeal directly for the green light to challenge Sir Peter’s decision.
Harry brought a case against the Home Office and the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) after he was stripped of his protection.
He attempted to sue the Home Office because it refused to spend taxpayers’ money on bodyguards after he left the Royal Family.
Harry also wanted to fund his own Met Police armed bodyguards but officials refused – with insiders insisting cops are not “guns for hire”.
He moaned he was unable to return to the UK with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet “because it is too dangerous” as a result of his security being downgraded.
His lawyers also claimed his treatment was “unlawful and unfair” and warned of “the impact on the UK’s reputation of a successful attack” against the duke.
But Ravec argued that allowing Harry to pay for his own protective security would be contrary to the public interest and undermine public confidence in the Met Police.
A judge ruled in February there had not been any “unlawfulness” in the call to pull Harry’s security.
The duke is allowed security when he stays at royal residences or attends royal events but has to fend for himself if he wants to see friends while back in Britain.
Major update in Prince Harry ‘drug use’ lawsuit as duke’s US visa papers are handed over to judge
High Court judge Sir Peter Lane ruled in February those conditions were fair, and would continue.
He said Harry’s lawyers had taken “an inappropriate, formalist interpretation of the Ravec process”.
The judge added: “The ‘bespoke’ process devised for the claimant in the decision of 28 February 2020 was, and is, legally sound.”
2
Harry and Meghan were stripped of their protection when they left the UK
