Prince Harry has lost a legal case against the Home Office over his right to police protection in the UK. Now the Duke of Sussex faces a bill of around 1 million pounds sterling, taking into account his legal costs. The Daily Mail reports this.
The Prince’s lawyers attempted to propose reducing the amount by half, however, the judge rejected it, just as he rejected the attempt to appeal the case itself, which he deemed “utterly hopeless.”
Despite this setback, Harry retains the option to directly approach the Court of Appeal if he wishes to pursue the matter further.
While the legal expenses of the Home Office over were publicly disclosed and amounted to £514,128, details regarding Harry’s legal costs are not disclosed, but it is assumed that they were approximately the same.
Harry’s legal battle stemmed from the Home Office’s decision to scale down his police protection after he and Meghan relocated from the UK in March 2020. He argued that his family still faced significant threats comparable to those they would have encountered had they remained working members of the Royal Family.
Drawing parallels to his late mother Princess Diana’s security challenges post-divorce, Harry sought to maintain security arrangements at the same level.
Despite the court ruling against him, the Duke of Sussex continues to express concerns about his and his family’s safety during visits to the UK, arguing that the absence of adequate security leaves them vulnerable.
Currently, Prince Harry must notify about his visit a month in advance so that security measures can be taken. Sources close to him suggest that he remains hesitant to return with his family due to these security apprehensions.