Prince Harry in court battle over security protection despite stepping down as a full-time royal
Prince Harry is in court Tuesday appealing the British government’s decision to ax his publicly-funded security detail.
LONDON — Prince Harry is in court Tuesday appealing the British government’s decision to axe his publicly-funded security detail.
Harry’s protection was downgraded in February 2020 when he stepped down as a full-time member of the royal family and moved to the United States with his wife, Meghan. This meant the British state provided security on a case-by-case basis.
The Duke of Sussex is challenging this decision in a case that is set to span Tuesday and Wednesday, arguing that the body responsible for protecting royals was not following its own rules. He said he and his family were under particular threat because of the abuse his wife receives from some sections of the public and the media, which Harry says are racially motivated.
“Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life,” an unnamed legal representative said in a previous statement. “He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats.”
His challenge was rejected in February last year by Britain’s High Court, which said the decision to change his security status was neither irrational nor procedurally unfair. Harry initially lost the right to appeal last April, before overturning that in the summer.
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