Prince Harry wants payment for British police protection (FILE)
London:
Britain’s Prince Harry is challenging a government decision that he should not receive police protection while on British soil, even if he covers the costs himself, his legal representatives said.
Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Harry and his American wife Meghan retired from royal duties in 2020 to build a new career in Los Angeles. The couple then called on a private security team.
However, his legal representatives said these arrangements did not provide the prince with the level of protection he needed while visiting Britain.
“In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family will not be able to return to his home,” the statement said. It cited an incident in July 2021 where they said his safety had been compromised while leaving a charity event due to the lack of police protection.
Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a car accident in 1997 while trying to escape paparazzi shooters.
The government has previously rejected two offers to pay for police protection, the prince’s lawyers said. A spokesperson said the process behind those decisions was opaque and inconsistent and did not consider all the risks.
Asked about the statement, a government spokesman said the UK government’s protective security system was “rigorous and proportionate” and it was its long-standing policy not to provide detailed information about schemes as this could endanger the safety of individuals. .
The spokesperson also said it would be “inappropriate” to comment in detail on any legal process.
Harry filed for judicial review — a legal challenge to the legality of a government agency’s decisions — in September 2021, the statement said. His lawyers said they had decided to release that information because of a leak in the British press.
“The UK will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country where he wants his wife and children to be safe,” the statement said.
“With the lack of police protection comes too great a personal risk. Prince Harry hopes that his petition – after almost two years of pleading for security in the UK – will resolve this situation.”
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