Prince Harry has launched legal action against the UK government after a High Court decision prevented him from paying UK police for personal protection, claiming it’s “unsafe” for his family to return to British soil without them.
Prince Harry has offered to personally pay for police protection after the Sussexes were stripped of their 24/7 protection when they stepped back from royal duties two years ago. The Duke of Sussex, who lives in the US with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children Archie and Lilibet, said he wants to visit his home country with his family, but needs to be able to “ensure” their safety.
A legal representative for Harry told The Sun, “Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life”.
“He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats,” he said.
“While his role within the institution has changed, his profile as a member of the royal family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.”
Harry’s move has been slammed by royal commentators, particularly by outspoken commentator Piers Morgan who said Harry was a “shameless entitled hypocrite”.
Since stepping down from royal duties, Prince Harry has been outspoken about his royal life several times, taking more than a few public swipes at the royal family.
During an infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry described royal life as a “mixture between The Truman Show and being in a zoo” and opened up about Prince Charle’s parenting style.
“I don’t think we should be pointing the finger or blaming anybody, but certainly when it comes to parenting, if I’ve experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered, I’m going to make sure I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on,” he said.