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Prince Harry’s Security Appeal: Lawyer Claims “Life at Stake” in UK Protection Row
Prince Harry’s legal team asserted that his “life is at stake,” a London court heard on Wednesday, during the final day of his appeal concerning his security arrangements in the United Kingdom. The Duke of Sussex is challenging the level of protection afforded to him while in his home country.
“Human Dimension” of Security Concerns Highlighted
Shaheed Fatima, representing the Duke of Sussex, emphasized the gravity of the situation at the Royal Courts of Justice. “One mustn’t forget the human dimension to this case. There is a person sitting behind me whose safety, whose security and whose life is at stake,” she stated, according to reports from The Independent. The appeal contests the British Home Office’s decision to deny the royal heir the highest level of state-funded security when he is on UK soil.
Fatima further argued that Prince Harry is being subjected to a “special bespoke process” which he perceives as “manifestly inferior” to previous arrangements.
Background of Security Dispute
The legal proceedings follow a previous ruling in February of last year, where the Duke of Sussex, age 40, lost a legal challenge against the government’s decision to revoke his automatic entitlement to top-tier police protection. This change occurred after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020 and relocated overseas.
The Home Office committee had determined that providing publicly funded security for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex within Great Britain was unwarranted.
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In a February 2024 verdict, the High Court upheld the government panel’s decision, stating that providing Harry with “bespoke” security on a case-by-case basis was lawful and justified.
Prince Harry’s Court Attendance Underscores Importance of Appeal
According to his lawyer, Harry’s presence at the court hearings “is a potent illustration of how much this appeal means to him and his family.” The Duke’s attendance at his legal proceedings remains infrequent.
On Tuesday, legal representatives disclosed to the court that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “felt compelled to withdraw from their roles as full-time working members of the Royal Family because they believed they were inadequately protected by the institution,” Sky News reported.
His legal team reiterated that the couple wished to continue supporting the late Queen in a private capacity and with private funding.
“Bespoke” Security Arrangement Under Scrutiny
Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements “does not appear to have been discussed at any formal RAVEC [Royal and VIP Executive Committee] meeting,” his legal team stated this week. They instead pointed to a “bespoke” process initiated in a meeting at Buckingham Palace in January 2020.
“(Harry) does not accept that ‘bespoke’ means ‘better,’” Fatima added, according to Sky News. “In fact, in his submission, it means that he has been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment.”
A government lawyer countered this week, arguing that Harry’s appeal was based on an “inappropriate, formalist interpretation” of the review conducted on his security.
“The appeal is fairly to be characterized in the same way,” government lawyer James Eadie asserted on Tuesday. “It involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture.”
Decision Expected At Later Date
A written judgment on the security appeal is anticipated in the coming weeks.
Sussexes’ Relocation and Royal Anniversary Coincidence
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated from England in 2020, two years following their wedding at Windsor, eventually establishing their residence in Montecito, California, with their two children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
Prince Harry’s final court appearance for his appeal coincided with his father, King Charles III, and Queen Camilla’s twentieth wedding anniversary.
King Charles and Queen Camilla embarked on a state visit to Italy shortly after Prince Harry’s arrival in the UK for the court proceedings. Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield confirmed to Fox News Digital that father and son did not meet during this time.