Prince Harry returned to a London courtroom Tuesday to appeal the U.K. government's decision to strip him of police protection after he stepped down as a working royal, with his legal team arguing that the decision placed him and his family in serious danger. The two-day hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice comes more than four years after the Home Office ruled in February 2020 that Harry would no longer automatically receive publicly funded security while in the United Kingdom.
Harry, 40, the Duke of Sussex and younger son of King Charles III, appeared in court for the rare public hearing, sitting behind his attorney Shaheed Fatima, who told three senior appeal judges that the government had subjected Harry to "different, unjustified and inferior treatment." Fatima argued that the government's Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, or RAVEC, had not properly followed its own risk assessment protocols.
"The appellant does not accept that bespoke means better," Fatima said. "It means he has been singled out."
In written filings, Harry's lawyers cited ongoing threats, including a recent al Qaeda call for his assassination and what they described as "a dangerous car pursuit with paparazzi in New York City" in 2023. Prior to stepping back from royal duties, Harry had been entitled to round-the-clock security as a senior member of the royal family.
Government lawyers countered that Harry's appeal represents "a continued failure to see the wood for the trees," maintaining that RAVEC's discretionary system of security on a case-by-case basis was neither unlawful nor procedurally flawed. The Home Office said its decision was grounded in changing circumstances and that the Duke's disagreement does not constitute a legal basis for appeal.
The prince has fought several legal battles in recent years against the British press and government. He lost a separate case seeking to pay for police security out of pocket, with the court siding with the government's position that law enforcement should not be available as "private bodyguards for the wealthy."
While Harry's court appearances remain infrequent, Tuesday's attendance signals the personal significance of the case. He listened closely during the proceedings, at times passing notes to his legal team. He is currently estranged from many members of the royal family, including his father King Charles, who is in Italy with Queen Camilla celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary.
The prince's legal efforts follow his mixed success in media-related lawsuits. He secured a major win in 2023 against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, when a judge found evidence of "widespread and habitual" phone hacking. Earlier this year, Rupert Murdoch's U.K. tabloids issued a formal apology and agreed to pay damages to settle a separate privacy case brought by Harry.
Harry's dispute with the government also comes amid turmoil at his charity Sentebale. Sophie Chandauka, the charity's CEO, has accused him of bullying and racism, claims Harry has denied, calling the situation "heartbreaking."
