Prince Harry vs the Home Office: First hearing over police protection row this morning
The Duke of Sussex’s High Court claim against a Home Office decision not to allow him to pay for police protection for himself and his family while in the UK will have its first hearing on Friday.
Harry wants to bring his children to visit from the US, but he and his family are “unable to return to his home” because it is too dangerous, a legal representative for the duke previously said.
Harry and Meghan lost their taxpayer-funded police protection in the aftermath of quitting as senior working royals in early 2020.
The duke is arguing that his private protection team in the US does not have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to UK intelligence information which is needed to keep his family safe.
Harry’s bid for a review of the Home Office decision was filed in September.
Friday’s preliminary hearing at the High Court at London is expected to cover what parts of the court documents can be made public or must be kept private.
Harry has previously said he “inherited” a risk on being born into the royal family.
He briefly returned from LA last year for the July 1 unveiling of the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial statue and, the day before, on June 30, he met seriously ill children and young people at a WellChild garden party and afternoon tea in Kew Gardens, west London.
It is understood the duke’s car was chased by photographers as he left.
Harry’s mother Diana died in a car crash after she was chased by the paparazzi in Paris.
Harry and Meghan’s security provision was one of the key issues when the couple announced they wanted to step down in January 2020.
They were later forced to disclose they had put in place “privately funded security arrangements” for their move to the US, after then president Donald Trump said his country would not pay for their protection.