Prince Harry has lost his latest legal battle against the UK government’s decision to downgrade his security arrangements following his withdrawal from royal duties.
The ruling, delivered on Friday by the Court of Appeal in London, upheld a previous High Court decision stating that the Home Office acted lawfully in 2020 when it decided the Duke of Sussex would no longer automatically receive personal police protection while in Britain.
The case stemmed from a decision made by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which concluded that Harry’s security needs could be met through a more flexible, case-by-case approach—different from the protections typically afforded to senior working royals.
Harry, now 40, had argued that the decision left him and his family vulnerable to threats, including a recent al Qaeda call for his assassination and a high-profile car chase with paparazzi in New York City in 2023.
His legal team said he had been subjected to “unjustified and inferior treatment” compared to other royals, putting his life and those of his wife Meghan and their two children at risk.
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During a passionate courtroom address in April, his lawyer Shaheed Fatima KC said: “One must not forget the human dimension to this case: there is a person sitting behind me whose safety, whose security and whose life is at stake.”
She emphasized the emotional weight of the case for Prince Harry, who attended the hearing in person, describing his presence as “a potent illustration of how much this appeal means to him and his family.”
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However, senior judge Sir Geoffrey Vos, speaking for the Court of Appeal, concluded that while Harry’s grievances were “powerful and moving,” they did not amount to legal grounds for overturning the Home Office decision.
“The Duke of Sussex felt badly treated by the system, but… his sense of grievance did not translate into a legal error,” the ruling stated.
The British government’s legal representatives defended the tailored security plan in place for Harry, noting it offered “positive advantages” from a risk management perspective.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles in early 2020 and now reside in California. The couple’s decision to break away from royal duties has been a source of public debate, media scrutiny, and now, legal challenges over their changing status and entitlements.
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