Prince Harry Loses Appeal In Monumental Court Decision

Prince Harry’s appeal against the U.K. government’s decision to withdraw his publicly funded security upon leaving royal duties for the U.S. was rejected by the Court of Appeal on Friday. The court ruled that the committee’s review of his protection on a case-by-case basis was fair. Consequently, the Duke of Sussex may have to cover the U.K. government’s legal fees in addition to his own. It remains uncertain if he will seek further appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court.

The court’s decision supported a previous ruling that the security plan customized for Prince Harry was lawful. During the hearing, Harry’s lawyer emphasized the threats to his life and alleged discriminatory treatment by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee.

The attorney representing the government criticized Harry’s arguments as being misconceived and failing to consider the overall context. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from their royal roles was due to feeling unprotected by the institution, as per his lawyer. Following this, a committee decided against providing publicly funded security for the couple in the U.K.

Prince Harry cited threats to his safety in the U.K., including online hostility and harassment by the media. He recounted two security incidents since losing government protection, including a threat from Al-Qaida and a dangerous encounter with paparazzi in New York.

Despite setbacks, Prince Harry has had legal victories against media outlets for privacy breaches, with ongoing cases against other publishers as well.