Prince Harry files legal claim over right to pay for UK police protection

The Duke of Sussex has filed a claim for a judicial review against a Home Office decision not to allow him to personally pay for police protection for himself and his family while in the UK.

It follows an incident in London in the summer of 2021 when his security was compromised after his car was chased by paparazzi photographers as he left a charity event.

The duke wants to fund the security himself, rather than ask taxpayers to foot the bill, a legal representative for Harry said.

Harry is arguing his private protection team in the US does not have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to UK intelligence information which is needed keep the Sussex family safe.

Lilibet, who is now seven months, has yet to meet her great-grandmother the Queen, grandfather the Prince of Wales and other members of the family face to face.

The duke briefly returned from LA last year for the 1 July unveiling of the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial statue, and the day before, on 30 June, he met seriously ill children and young people at a WellChild garden party and afternoon tea in Kew Gardens, west London.

The bid for a judicial review was filed in September.

Harry and Meghan lost their taxpayer-funded police protection 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.

Their website at the time suggested the Home Office, through the Metropolitan police, should continue to provide protection for the couple and their son Archie.

The Sussexes have signed multimillion-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify, with the duke telling Oprah Winfrey he secured these to pay for his security.