Prince Harry lost his latest security court battle, which started after his taxpayer-funded police protection was pulled when he and his wife Meghan Markle opted to step down from their royal roles in 2020.
On Wednesday, the London High Court ruled in favor of the government and found that there had been no “procedural unfairness” in how the Duke of Sussex was being treated — despite his attorney’s argument that Prince Harry still faced security threats, the BBC reported.
Prince Harry had argued that there was unlawfulness in how he was being treated when his security protection was being made on a case-by-case basis rather than automatically being given at the same level of protection he previously had.
Though parts of the decision were redacted, the court agreed with RAVEC’s decision calling it “legally sound” to treat the royal’s protection the same as any other high-profile visitor to the U.K., the outlet noted.
RAVEC is a committee made up of the Home Office, Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Household.
Prince Harry is set to APPEAL after High Court ruled Home Office decision to downgrade his personal security was lawful as his team say Duke ‘is not asking for preferential treatment’. https://t.co/ErVh4k4MRl pic.twitter.com/3XUUlPbUyT
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 28, 2024
The duke’s legal spokesperson has already come out and said his client will appeal the court’s decision, CNN noted.
“The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of RAVEC’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with RAVEC’s own written policy,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
The Home Office released a statement following the High Court’s ruling that said, “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.”
Prince Harry first filed the case in September 2021 after being in the country that year to honor his mother at the unveiling of his mother the late Princess Diana’s statue.
While there, his security was reportedly “compromised due to the absence of police protection” while leaving a charity event, and his car was chased by photographers, the Guardian noted previously.
“The goal for Prince Harry has been simple — to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the U.K. so his children can know his home country,” a spokesperson for Harry told the Guardian at the time.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously lost another court challenge that would’ve allowed the royals to pay for police protection when their family is in Britain, as previously reported.
The London High Court rejected a judicial review filed by the duke against the Home Office for denying his application to pay for such services.
The Home Office argued that it would be improper for the police to be hired as private security guards, The New York Times noted.
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