Prince Harry has described himself as "exhausted" by a prolonged legal battle against the U.K. government over the removal of his police protection, a dispute that has lasted more than three years and become the focal point of his ongoing separation from royal life.
After a two-day hearing at London's Court of Appeal last week, the Duke of Sussex said the decision to withdraw security protections was "difficult to swallow" and characterized the case as "the one that always mattered the most." The prince, who now resides in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children, flew to the U.K. for the proceedings, though he was not required to testify.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Harry believes that the Home Office's move to strip him of police protection was intended "to force" him "back into Britain and establishment life." He also alleged that his "worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case and that's really sad." Much of the hearing was held in private due to the "highly confidential" nature of the security information involved.
The appeal follows a prior defeat in February, when Mr. Justice Lane ruled that the government had acted lawfully in its 2020 decision to downgrade the prince's security status. Harry has maintained that the existing arrangement - a "bespoke" assessment for each U.K. visit requiring 30 days' notice - is inadequate, particularly when it comes to the safety of his children.
Shaheed Fatima KC, Harry's barrister, told the court last week that "his life was at stake" without the reinstatement of full protection. The prince reportedly declined an offer to stay at Buckingham Palace during a 2023 trip to London, deeming the accommodations insufficiently secure.
Harry's legal team has argued that King Charles could have intervened, citing the presence of the King's private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, on the Royal and VIP Executive Committee that advises on security arrangements. However, Buckingham Palace emphasized that Alderton was not on the committee when the decision was made and added: "These are matters of security and government policy and, as usual, it would be inappropriate to comment or intervene on either."
A source from the palace told RadarOnline.com: "Harry talks of his exhaustion and this latest legal battle but he is the one who is desperate to get the British taxpayer to foot the bill for his security when he is in England. He has brought this to court twice. He is the one who left the Royal Family for a new life in America. He now wants the perks of the job without the work."
The prince has reportedly had no recent contact with King Charles or his brother, Prince William. He last saw the King in February 2023 following the monarch's cancer diagnosis but did not meet with him during a visit that May. The ongoing estrangement has become emblematic of his broader departure from the royal institution.
While a result from the appeal is expected after Easter, insiders have described the hearing as Harry's "last throw of the dice" in a case that has become deeply personal for the prince. Despite the toll of litigation, he traveled shortly after the court appearance to Ukraine, where he visited a rehabilitation center in Lviv. Images and video of his trip were released only after his departure. Harry reportedly flew to Poland before crossing into Ukraine with a local police escort.
