Prince Harry wins bid to contest UK government's decision denying him security cover

Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, who stepped down as a senior member of the royal family, and had sued the UK government for removing their security cover, has won permission to challenge the decision that barred his police protection legally. In January this year, attorneys acting for Harry wrote a ‘pre-action protocol’ letter to the Home Office, wherein it sought a judicial review of their security when the Duke of Sussex is in Britain. According to a report by the Independent, Duke’s counsellors asked Justice Swift to grant authorisation for a full hearing to have a judge review the Home Office’s decision earlier this month. Subsequently, on July 22, the High Court judge granted a judicial review of Harry's claim. 

"The application for permission to apply for judicial review is allowed in part and refused in part," the British online newspaper quoted Justice Swift. 

Why did Prince Harry sue his Majesty's government?

Notably, in 2018, he was made Duke of Sussex months before his wedding to American actress Meghan Markle. Nearly two years into the marriage, both Prince and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family. Since then, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly had to pay the cost of their security on their own. According to the UK-based Daily Mail, the UK Police gave security to the Duke of Sussex when he arrived in the country to attend the funeral ceremony of Prince Philip. However, when he returned for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace with his brother William in July 2021, he had to pay for his security on his own.

Prince Harry's family subjected to “well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats”: His legal team

As per the media reports, the security for the couple requires approximately $2-3 million annually. Notably, this was the first time that a member of the Royal Family initiated lawful action against their Majesty's government.  "Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. 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," Prince Harry’s legal spokesperson, had said in a statement released in January this year. 

Image: AP