Prince Harry's legal attempt on Tuesday to challenge the UK government's decision regarding his request to pay for police protection while in the United Kingdom has failed. Harry, the younger son of King Charles, was stripped of the security protection typically provided to members of the royal family after he and his American wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their official duties in 2020 to move to the United States.
Last year, the High Court in London had already permitted Harry to challenge the original decision to end his security protection; however, today it ruled that he could not also request a judicial review of the rejection of his offer to privately pay for specially trained officers. The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures made the decision to cease state-funded security protection.
Harry's lawyers argued last week that the committee did not have the authority to refuse his offer to pay for trained officers, and even if it did have such authority, it was wrong not to consider granting him an exemption or hearing a defense on his behalf. Nevertheless, lawyers for the police and the government contended that it would be inappropriate to allow the fifth in line to the throne to pay for protection, as this would imply that the wealthy could "buy" specially trained officers to act as personal guards.
Judge Martin Chamberlain summarized his ruling by concluding that the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures did not err in its decision to determine that allowing the payment for security protection was contrary to the public good.
