By Sheila Mckenzie-
Prince Harry’s High Court claim against the Home Office for not allowing him to pay for police protection while in the UK starts today.
The Duke of Sussex’s legal representatives say he wants to bring his children to the UK on a visit from the US, but claims they are ‘unable to return to his home’ because it is too dangerous, his lawyer has said. The legal suit underscores the rift between Prince Harry and his family, and also highlights a clash with the UK government whom he is taking to court.
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Harry and his wife Meghan Markle lost their taxpayer-funded police protection in the aftermath of quitting as senior working royals in early 2020.
The couple’s security provision was one of a major issue raised following the couple’s announced to step down from royal duties in January 2020.
Following the rejection of his expressed wishes to fund his own Met Police armed bodyguards, the Duke Of Sussex insists his safety and those of his family members are being compromised.
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Further arguments advanced in his legal suit includes his claim that private protection team in the US does not have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to UK intelligence information which is needed to keep his family safe.
The Duke’s case is being heard by Mr Justice Swift in London’s High Court this morning – but Harry is not attending in person.
Shaheed Fatima QC, for Harry, said: “This claim is about the fact that the claimant does not feel safe when he is in the UK given the security arrangements applied to him in June 2021 and will continue to be applied to him.”
She continued: “It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart.
They were later forced to disclose they had put in place ‘privately funded security arrangements’ for their move to the US, after then president Donald Trump said his country would not pay for their protection.
The legal suit comes just six weeks before Harry’s plans to come back to Britain for a Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey with the Queen.
He also wants to come back for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
A Government spokesman said: ‘The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.
‘It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements.
‘To do so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security. It would also not be appropriate to comment on the detail of any legal proceedings.’
Prince Harry and Meghan lost their taxpayer-funded police protection in the UK in the aftermath of quitting as senior working royals.
Their security provision was one of the key issues when the couple announced they wanted to step down in 2020.
Speaking to Winfrey during the couple’s sit-down interview in 2021, Harry said he was told that ‘due to our change of status – we would no longer be ‘official’ members of the royal family’.
He said he had been shocked by this and ‘pushed back’ on the issue, arguing that there had been no change of threat or risk to the couple.
Meghan, during the same interview, told how she had written to her husband’s family urging them not to ‘pull his security’, but had been told ‘it’s just not possible’.
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