Prince Harry to demand taxpayer-funded police protection is restored - despite stepping down as full working royal
5 December 2023, 05:33
Prince Harry's lawyers are to demand his taxpayer-funded protection is restored as they claim it was unfair to remove police help.
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They are set to challenge the decision to take away his armed cops after he chose to stop being a full working royal with Meghan.
But it is unknown if he will make a public appearance at the High Court case in London today amid the fallout from Omid Scobie's book Endgame.
Lawyers will rail against the decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, or Ravec, to remove his right to security, which was taken in February 2020.
Harry has argued he does not believe he can safely bring his family to the UK without police help and that private bodyguards do not have the same capacity to protect him as the cops.
He has already lost a case over his protection, having failed to convince judges he should be allowed to pay for police protection when he visits Britain.
The case comes amid the controversy swirling around Endgame.
It contains a number of serious claims about the monarchy, with the furore focused on claims two royals made remarks about his son Archie's skin colour before he was born.
Two names were printed in a Dutch language edition before thousands of copies were recalled.
Mr Scobie, the royal author who is often regarded as being relatively close to the Sussexes, said their identities were written down in a letter from Meghan to Charles.
How that has leaked is unclear, with Meghan insisting she did not tell him and the Palace saying the letter is locked away.
The Palace has not officially responded to the book, though the King was said to be meeting his top advisers this week to discuss the next steps - including any possibility of legal action.
The High Court hearing over Harry's protection is due to last three days.
