LONDON – Prince Harry lost a long legal battle over his downgraded security in Britain, when a High Court judge ruled Wednesday that the British government
had the right
to change the level of police protection for a member of the royal family who was no longer performing his official duties.
In a 51-page ruling, Judge Peter Lane
rejected
Harry's challenge to the decision, stating that Britain's Home Office, through its Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, had not been
unfair or irrational
from a procedural point of view in changing its level.
of security.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leaves the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's Supreme Court, in central London, March 28, 2023. Prince Harry lost a court challenge against the UK government on February 28 2024 due to a decision to change the level of his personal security when visiting the country.
(Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP)
It was a huge setback for Harry, who has fought a series of legal battles for both his safety and privacy.
Earlier this month, he won at least 400,000 pounds ($506,000) in damages from the editor of
The Daily Mirror
, a London tabloid, for the “widespread and habitual” hacking of his mobile phone voicemail.
Harry lost his automatic protection from the taxpayer-funded Metropolitan Police when he and his wife, Meghan, retired from royal duties in 2020 and eventually moved to Southern California.
The prince has argued that he cannot safely visit Britain with his family without that
higher level of protection.
Last May, in a parallel court case, he lost a bid to pay for police protection
out of his own pocket.
In the United States, Harry and Meghan are protected by bodyguards with a license to carry weapons.
But traveling to Britain poses a particular challenge because its private security guards are not allowed to carry weapons.
The couple's safety came under the spotlight last year when Harry and Meghan, along with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, were surrounded by photographers after leaving an awards ceremony in New York City.
A spokesman for the couple described "a near-catastrophic
car chase
at the hands of a group of very aggressive paparazzi," although a taxi driver transporting the three said there had been no car chase and there was no reason for his passengers to They will be scared.
even if they were clearly alarmed.
At the time, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department said the photographers had posed a challenge, but that the three had arrived at their destination on the Upper East Side with "no reported collisions, citations, injuries or arrests."
Evidence
However, on Wednesday it emerged that Harry's lawyers had submitted to the Superior Court a copy of a letter from the New York Police Department's intelligence chief, John B. Hart, stating that, following a subsequent investigation , the police had concluded that the paparazzi
had behaved recklessly
that night.
There was enough evidence, Mr. Hart wrote, in a letter dated December 6, 2023, to arrest two individuals for
reckless endangerment
.
“They had operated vehicles, scooters and bicycles in a manner that forced the security team, which included the NYPD lead car, to take
evasive action
on several occasions and a circuitous route to avoid being hit by pursuing vehicles or trapped in lateral blocks.”
the judge wrote, citing the letter Hart sent to Richard Smith, the Metropolitan Police's specialist royalty and protection commander.
Hart said the incident had led the NYPD to
change security procedures
for the couple on subsequent visits to New York, although the details were omitted from the ruling, as were details about their protection in Britain.
The ruling over Harry's safety came amid a new round of speculation about the well-being of senior members of the royal family.
On Tuesday, Prince William
abruptly withdrew
from a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece, his godfather, citing a “personal matter.”
William's wife, Catherine, is recovering from abdominal surgery in January.
An official at Kensington Palace, where the couple has their offices, said Tuesday that Catherine was fine, but gave no further details.
King Charles III, who is receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, also missed the service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Queen Camilla replaced her husband.
Buckingham Palace officials said William's cancellation was not related to his father's health.
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