LONDON: Prince Harry is due to discover Friday the outcome of his appeal against a UK government decision to downgrade his police protection on visits to Britain, according to court listings.
Judges at the Court of Appeal are set to hand down their decision on Friday afternoon, following a closely followed, two-day hearing in April for which Harry, 40, made a rare trip to London.
The youngest son of King Charles III cut ties with the royal family in 2020 and moved to the west coast of the United States with his wife Meghan, citing media scrutiny among other reasons.
Following his departure, the UK government decided he would not receive the “same degree” of publicly funded protection when in Britain, and that his security would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
After losing an initial case against the interior ministry, Harry, the Duke of Sussex, launched an appeal, with his lawyers alleging that he was “singled out” for “unjustified and inferior treatment”.
In a written submission, lawyers said Harry and Meghan had been involved in “a dangerous car pursuit with paparazzi in New York City”, and had received threats from Al-Qaeda.
The verdict could determine how often Harry — long haunted by the death of his mother Princess Diana in a car chase fleeing paparazzi in 1997 — visits Britain.
The prince has said security concerns have hampered his ability to visit the UK, making only fleeting trips since stepping down as a working royal five years ago and moving to California.
In early 2024, the High Court ruled against Harry’s challenge to the 2020 government decision, saying that the government acted lawfully.
His initial bid was also refused in April last year, before a judge said Harry could challenge the decision.
His lawyers said that the committee behind the decision, which deals with protection for royal and public figures, failed to assess the risks to the prince.
However the government’s lawyer argued that the downgrade was a result of “his change in status because he was now going to live abroad for the majority of his time”.
