A PRINCELY SUM
Harry faces £1m legal bill on failed security appeal
PRINCE Harry is facing a £1million legal bill after he was refused an appeal bid against a decision to strip him of his taxpayer-funded security when in the UK.
The Duke of Sussex was yesterday told he must pay 90% of the Government’s legal fees, which already stood at £407,000 last October, on top of his own.
Harry took legal action against the Home Office over the February 2020 decision of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which protects public figures.
It ruled he should receive a different degree of funded protection when in the country.
RAVEC’s decision came as a result of a change in the Duke’s status after he stopped being a full-time working member of the Royal Family, a judge was told.
In February, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane rejected the Duke’s case and concluded that Ravec’s approach was not irrational nor procedurally unfair.
A judicial spokesman yesterday confirmed Harry, 39, who now lives in California with former actress wife Meghan, 42, and their two children Archie and Lilibet, had lost his initial bid to appeal against the decision.
Sir Peter said that Harry should pay most of the Home Office’s legal costs.
But he said the department had committed breaches during the legal battle that were “sanctionable”.
He continued: “They have resulted in the case being largely contested by reference to new grounds, which have not been subjected to the normal permission process.
“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 retired judge said the costs to be paid should be reduced by 10%. He rejected an argument from Harry’s lawyers that they should be slashed by at least half.
Sir Peter said: “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.”
However, Harry is still able to ask the Court of Appeal directly for the green light to challenge Sir Peter’s February ruling.