UK court rejects Prince Harry’s appeal to restore full royal security

Prince Harry has lost his appeal in a legal challenge over his right to receive publicly funded security while in the UK, following his departure from royal duties in 2020.

The Duke of Sussex had sought to overturn a previous ruling that downgraded his and his family's police protection after he stepped back from being a working royal and relocated to the United States with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. His legal team argued that he had been “singled out” for “inferior treatment” and that the decision-making process failed to take into account the specific risks he faces.

But the Court of Appeal rejected the argument, stating there was no legal error in how the decision was made.

On Friday, Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, said that although Prince Harry presented “powerful and moving arguments” and clearly “felt badly treated by the system,” this did not amount to grounds for a successful legal challenge.

“I concluded having studied the detailed documents I could not say the duke's sense of grievance translated into a legal argument for a challenge to Ravec's decision,” Vos wrote in the judgment.

The dispute centers around the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which oversees security arrangements for high-profile public figures in the UK. After Prince Harry and Meghan formally stepped back from their royal roles and moved abroad, Ravec decided his security would be handled on a case-by-case basis rather than providing continuous coverage.

Although Harry continues to receive some level of police protection during visits to the UK, it is no longer guaranteed and requires advance notice. He has previously said that concerns over his family's safety have prevented them from visiting Britain more frequently.

His legal team maintained that Ravec failed to properly reassess the risks to the prince and his family in light of their changed circumstances in 2020. But the court found no procedural unfairness or legal misstep in the committee's handling of the matter.