Prince Harry went back to London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday to challenge a UK government decision to strip his automatic right to police protection when he quit royal duties in 2020.
The Duke of Sussex is appealing against the Home Office decision, which declared he would not automatically have personal police protection while in the UK. Even though the High Court had previously ruled the decision was lawful, Harry, aged 40, was given permission to appeal.
On the last day of the two-day hearing, Harry explicitly consulted his lawyers and seemed visibly disturbed as the government’s lawyer justified the ruling. James Eadie, appearing for the Home Office, testified that taking a “bespoke” approach to Harry’s security provided “positive advantages” from a risk assessment point of view.
But Harry’s attorney, Shaheed Fatima, had serious objections. Appearing after a closed hearing of sensitive information, she made it clear the case was very important to her client personally. “There is someone sitting behind me whose life, whose security, and whose safety is in the balance,” she said to the court.
Fatima countered that Harry had been made to believe he was getting some sort of special deal, yet in reality, the protection was “manifestly inferior in every respect” to what he used to have as a working royal. She pointed out that Harry’s commitment to attending the appeal in person showed how much it means to him and his family.
Court documents also uncovered recent threats to Harry, such as a call by al Qaeda for his assassination and a high-risk paparazzi car chase in New York City in 2023.
Currently residing in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, Harry continues to advocate for what he feels is needed protection when traveling to the UK. The court’s decision on the appeal is pending.
