Prince Harry has lost his bid to appeal the London High Court’s decision to strip him and his family of taxpayer-funded UK security protection.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, has now been ordered to pay 90% of the UK Home Office’s legal costs for defending the court’s initial ruling.
In February, Sir Peter Lane, the judge of the High Court, ruled that there was no unlawfulness in stripping the Sussexes of their security in Feb. 2020.
The court found that any departure from the policy was justified and that the decision was not influenced by unfairness.
This now means that Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, must pay out of pocket for their family’s security when visiting the UK.
On Monday, Judge Lane said Harry should pay most of the Home Office’s legal costs, but noted that the government had committed “breaches” during proceedings which were “sanctionable.”
“They have resulted in the case being largely contested by reference to new grounds, which have not been subjected to the normal permission process,” he said in an official order Monday.
“The breaches resulted from misapprehensions on the part of the defendant as to the duty of disclosure, which this decision has had to address at some length. It is therefore right that there should be a modest but still significant reduction in the award of costs to the defendant.”
The government had argued Harry’s claim should be dismissed.
Judge Lane also said that the amount Harry has to foot the bill for should be reduced by 10%, meaning that he needs to pay 90% of the Home Office’s total legal costs.
Harry’s legal team initially asked the court to reduce the costs by a whopping 50%.
“There is no merit in this ‘partial success’ submission … the fact that the court did not accept each and every submission of the defendant as to the path to take towards dismissal of the claim does not alter the fact that the claimant comprehensively lost,” Judge Lane added.
The Post has reached out to Harry’s reps for comment.
Harry and the “Suits” alum, 42, were stripped of funded police protection on Feb. 28 after they stepped back from being “working royals” and moved to the US in 2020.
Harry’s lawyers had sought a judicial review of the government’s refusal of his offer to hire police officers as his private security detail, which was initially denied by London’s High Court in May 2023.
The Duke is expected to venture back on his home soil next month for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
While Harry’s rumored trip is still unconfirmed, it’s believed that celebrations will take place at St Paul’s Cathedral.
