Munmun Kaur
Published On: January 17, 2022 at 12:24 IST
Prince Harry has filed a claim for a judicial review against the British government’s decision not to let him personally pay for police protection while in the U.K.
The claim was first filed in September to challenge the decision-making behind the security procedure.
The Duke of Sussex’s legal representative, on January 15, said that the Prince wants to bring his wife and two children Archie and Lilibet, to visit his home country but the same is very difficult without appropriate security. Lilibet, who is 7 months old is yet to meet her grandmother- the Queen of England, and other family members.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family in the US but the same doesn’t have jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information. In the absence of adequate protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return home.
The statement further read that Harry, in January 2020, first offered to personally pay for U.K. police protection for him and his family but his offer was dismissed.
During his visit to England to attend a charity event in July 2020, his security was compromised because of the absence of police protection, when his car was chased by paparazzi.
Apparently, Harry and his wife Meghan lost publicly funded police protection in the U.K. when they stepped down as senior working royals and moved to California in 2020.
The representative said that the goal for Prince Harry has been to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in UK so his children can know his home country. He added, “The UK will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in.”