Setback for Duke in bid to appeal ruling on security during his visits to the UK

THE Duke of Sussex’s initial bid to bring an appeal has been refused after he lost a High Court challenge over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK.

Harry took legal action against the Home Office over the February 2020 decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-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 a judgment in February, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane rejected the Duke’s case and concluded Ravec’s approach was not irrational nor procedurally unfair.

Following the previous ruling, a spokesperson for the Duke said he intended to challenge the judgment, adding that Harry “hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal”.

Yesterday, a judicial spokesperson said that Harry has lost his initial bid to appeal against the decision.

In the initial decision to refuse the Duke the go-ahead to appeal, Sir Peter said Harry’s appeal bid was “largely a recapitulation of the case advanced by the claimant at trial”.

He continued: “The reality of the matter is that the claimant considers he should receive a different approach to his protection whilst in the UK than Ravec decided he should, based in part on his comparison of his own position with that of others. Ravec, as an expert body, concluded otherwise. It was entitled to do so.”

However, the Duke is still able to ask the Court of Appeal directly for the green light to bring an appeal.

Separately, Harry has been ordered to pay 90 per cent of the Home Office’s legal costs of defending his challenge in an order published yesterday.