UK Security: Prince Harry Loses Case Against Government

Prince Harry has lost a High Court challenge against the government over the level of his security when he is in the UK.

The Duke of Sussex failed to overturn a ruling which saw his security status downgraded after he stopped being a working royal.

The High Court ruled the decision was neither unlawful nor irrational.

Prince Harry will seek to appeal the ruling and “hopes he will obtain justice”, a legal spokesperson said.

His lawyers had argued the way the decision was made had been unfair.

He launched the legal challenge after being told he would no longer be given the same degree of publicly-funded protection when in the country.

The Home Office said his security on UK visits should be decided on a case-by-case basis, and on Wednesday said it was “pleased” by the court’s finding.

Arguing against the Duke’s challenge, Home Office lawyers told the High Court Prince Harry would still have publicly-funded police security, but these would be “bespoke arrangements, specifically tailored to him”, rather than the automatic security provided for full-time working royals.

Much of the legal proceedings, which covered security arrangements for senior figures, were held in private in December, with the ruling issued by retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane on Wednesday morning.

The ruling could have implications for the Duke’s future visits to the UK, as he previously argued that the lower level of security has made it difficult to bring his family to the country.

In the ruling, Sir Peter rejected the Duke’s case, finding that there had not been any unlawfulness in reaching the decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status, and that any departure from policy was justified.

It found the decision was not irrational, or procedurally unfair.

BBC