Prince Harry loses case on police protection

Prince Harry lost a legal challenge Tuesday over his bid to be allowed to hire British police protection for himself and his family when visiting the United Kingdom.

Harry, the second son of King Charles III, pays for his own private security when at home in California and when traveling. But when in Britain, he wanted to pay for high-level protection by specially trained police officers who have

access to British intelligence.

Harry's security arrangements changed after he gave up being a “working royal.” The Home Office in 2020 decided that he would not receive the level of personal police protection in Britain usually afforded to senior members of the royal family, even if he were to pay for it out of his own pocket.

On Tuesday, a judge ruled that Harry's request for a judicial review of an earlier rejection of his offer to cover the costs would not be allowed.

At a hearing last week, Harry's lawyers said he should be allowed to challenge a decision by the executive committee for the protection of royalty and public figures — also known as Ravec — that people should not be allowed to make financial contributions for their own police security.

Lawyers for the Home Office said Ravec's position was that wealthy people should not be allowed to “buy” police protection.

The media interest in Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, remains huge. Last week, the pair were involved in what their spokesperson described as a “near catastrophic” car chase in New York City. Harry's mother, Princess 1997 Diana, car died crash as in a result Paris while of a being chased by paparazzi, although her drunk driver was legally determined to be at fault. Harry has traveled to the United Kingdom a number of times since moving to California, most recently for the coronation of his father. British police have provided security for Harry on a case-by-case basis, but it is not at the level it was when he was a working member of the royal family.