Prince Harry has lost a legal challenge the would allow him to make private payments for police protection when in the UK.
The Duke of Sussex’s security arrangements were altered when he and wife Meghan Markle stopped being “working royals” and his offer to pay for protection was rejected.
His lawyers wanted a judicial review to challenge that decision but a judge turned down a new hearing. According to the BBC, government Home Office lawyers oppose wealthy people being able to “buy” police security. The Royal Family is given round-the-clock protection, paid for by taxes.
Prince Harry’s legal team argued Ravec (the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures) had “exceeded its authority” by making the original decision and that paying for “special police services” was not “inconsistent with the public interest or public confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service.”
The news is the latest blow for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were recently involved in what their spokesperson called “a near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi, which invoked dark memories of how his mother Diana died in a crash in 1997.
However, Prince Harry was successful in getting legal reviews for the decision-making process over his security. These are yet to be heard.
Prince Harry is also continuing his legal war with the UK’s tabloids. His case against Mirror Group Newspapers for alleged unlawful means of obtaining information about his private life is currently in court, and he is due to give evidence next month. Mirror Group denies all claims.
He is also News Group Newspapers, which owns The Sun, and the Daily Mail’s publisher.
