Prince Harry demanded name of person responsible for downgrading his security, court documents reveal
29 February 2024, 08:48 | Updated: 29 February 2024, 08:50
Prince Harry demanded that the person who downgraded his Home Office protection be named, court documents have revealed.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Harry sued the Home Office for refusing to spend taxpayers’ money on him after he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
But it was ruled on Wednesday that there had been no "unlawfulness" in the decisions made to pull his security.
The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) made the decision, but Harry requested specific details.
In the 52-page ruling, it showed that Harry said "I would like that person's name" in regard to who was responsible for downgrading his security.
It also revealed that Harry's private security told the High Court that the "paparazzi made [Harry] feel like sitting ducks" when he attended the Wellchild Awards in June 2021.
Harry shared concerns over the safety of his children, Archie and Lilibet, if they were ever to visit the UK too.
His legal team told the High Court on Tuesday: "The claimant’s consistent position has been, and remains, that he should be given state security in light of the threats/risks he faces."
Read more: Prince Harry faces £1m bill after losing High Court challenge over taxpayer funded police protection
But the government argued that Harry's security should be decided on a "case-by-case" basis.
Addressing the ruling on Wednesday, a Home Office spokesman said: "We are pleased that the Court has found in favour of the Government’s position in this case, and we are carefully considering our next steps. It would be inappropriate to comment further.
"The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security."
A legal spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said: “The Duke of Sussex will appeal today’s judgment which refuses his judicial review claim against the decision-making body Ravec, which includes the Home Office, the Royal Household and the Met Police.
“Although these are not labels used by Ravec, three categories – as revealed during the litigation – comprise the ‘Ravec cohort’: the Role Based Category, the Occasional Category and the Other VIP Category.
“The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec’s own written policy.
“In February 2020, Ravec failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis.
“The duke’s case is that the so-called ‘bespoke process’ that applies to him, is no substitute for that risk analysis.
“The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.”
Immediately after the ruling lawyers for Harry said he plans to appeal.
He now faces paying legal costs for the Home Office as well as the costs for his own lawyers - potentially reaching seven figures, according to the Times.
In October last year, the Home Office revealed that it had already incurred £407,000 in legal fees - and this was before another three-day trial in December.
These costs included £265,437 for the Government Legal Department and £137, 864 for barristers.
The Duke also hired ‘celebrity law firm’ Schillings to represent him in the trial, meaning his own bills are likely to be on the pricier side.
