Kym Illman / Contributor
Prince Harry Loses U.K. Police Protection Lawsuit After Megxit, Plans to Appeal
Prince Harry lost his U.K. police protection lawsuit regarding his decreased government-funded security after his and Meghan Markle‘s departure from royal duties in January 2020, but he plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
A judge ruled on Wednesday, February 28, that stripping Harry, 39, of some of his security detail following Megxit, and instead providing protection on a case-by-case basis, was not “unlawful, irrational or unjustified.”
The ruling came following the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures’ 2020 decision against his automatic right to security in the U.K. Harry responded by offering to pay for the security himself, but in May 2023, that legal bid was denied.
After the February 28 ruling, a spokesperson for Harry told ABC News he would be appealing the High Court’s decision.
“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 statement read, in part. “The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.”
In December 2023, during a three-day hearing in London regarding the Duke of Sussex’s security concerns, his lawyers shared a statement on his behalf. In the message, Harry claimed that he and Meghan “felt forced” to step back from their positions as senior royals, citing their fear for their family’s safety as the reason.
“The U.K. is my home,” Harry continued in the statement. “The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States. That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil.”
He added at the time that remaining in the country “put [his] wife,” as well as himself, “in danger.”
After the pair stepped down as senior royals, they moved to the U.S. in an effort to escape the public scrutiny and media attention they received overseas. However, earlier this month, an insider exclusively told In Touch that the couple doesn’t feel safe anymore in California and are considering increasing their home security.
Following a series of break ins in Montecito, the Santa Barbara town the pair currently calls home, police issued Meghan, 42, and Harry a warning, fearing they may be the next victims.
The couple have reportedly picked up the slack left by the reduced taxpayer-funded security by hiring their own high-profile team of professionals, who have worked for the likes of Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and even Michael Jackson.
Harry’s last trip to the U.K. was to visit his father, King Charles III, following his cancer diagnosis. He only remained in his native country for 26 hours before heading back to the U.S., and notably didn’t visit his brother, Prince William, while he was there.
The Duke of Sussex reportedly spent around 45 minutes with his father at his Clarence House residence before ending the visit. Meghan did not accompany her husband on the sudden trip.
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