Prince Harry just experienced a major legal loss.
Harry, 40, lost his appeal in the ongoing battle to reinstate government-funded security in the U.K. on Friday, May 2. Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos dismissed the appeal, noting that two other judges agreed with his decision.
“The Duke was, in effect, stepping in and out of the cohort of protection provided by RAVEC [the government’s Royal and VIP Executive Committee],” the judge said in his decision on Friday, according to multiple outlets. “Outside the U.K., he was outside the cohort, but when in the U.K., his security would be considered as appropriate depending on the circumstances. It was impossible, I said in my judgment, to say that this reasoning was illogical or inappropriate. Indeed, it seemed sensible.”
Us Weekly has reached out to the Duke of Sussex for comment.
Related: Prince Harry Plans Appeal After Losing Fight for U.K. Police Protection
Prince Harry is already planning an appeal after losing his legal battle for improved security in the U.K. A judge in the U.K.’s High Court reportedly ruled on Wednesday, February 28, that the British government has the right to change the level of police protection for a royal family member who is no longer performing […]
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, lost their security detail after they stepped down from their royal duties and moved out of the U.K. in 2020. The couple’s security measures have been decided on a case-by-case basis since their move to the United States.
The Duke of Sussex spent two days at London’s Royal Courts of Justice last month to appeal a decision made that same year, stating that he and Meghan, 43, would no longer receive state-funded protection. (Harry initially lost the case in February 2024.)
While in the U.K. on April 8 and 9 to appear in court, Harry spoke with The Telegraph, stating that the entire ordeal was “difficult to swallow.” He also hinted that the security issue stems from ongoing tension with his father, King Charles III.
Harry told People on April 9 he was “exhausted and overwhelmed,” over the court case, adding that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure.”
Related: King Charles Could End Up in the Middle of Prince Harry’s Court Battle
King Charles III could be dragged into Prince Harry’s court case. “[The legal battle] puts Harry in with the people who are carrying out the king’s orders,” royal author Sally Bedell Smith shared in an interview with People published on Tuesday, April 15. “If his father was to say something even seemingly innocuous, it could […]
A source told Us exclusively late last month that the ongoing legal drama has caused the rift between Harry and Charles, 76, to deepen.
“This has been terrible for Harry’s relationship with Charles,” an insider said. “Harry blames Charles and thinks he can intervene. But [Charles] can’t, and it just continues Harry’s narrative that he’s been cast out.”
The same source added: “Prince Harry doesn’t seem to understand that Charles can’t get involved in the decision about his security, but he still blames him. Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals, so they don’t get royal protection anymore. It’s the British public paying for this, so there’s no leeway here.”
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams cosigned this sentiment.
“Charles is not answering Harry’s messages,” Fitzwilliams told Us. “At the moment, Harry does not seem to have a relationship with his father at all. It’s truly sad.”
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