LONDON (Reuters) – Prince Harry returned to London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday for his appeal over changes to his protection after he stepped down from royal duties, as the British government argued his security presented a “unique set of circumstances”.
Harry, King Charles’ younger son, is trying to overturn a decision by the Home Office – the ministry responsible for policing – which decided in 2020 he would not automatically receive personal police security while in Britain.
Prince Harry stepped back from his royal duties in 2020 and now lives in California with his American wife Meghan and their two children.
Harry’s challenge was rejected last year, with the High Court ruling the decision was lawful, but he was granted permission to appeal.
Harry, 40, regularly conferred with his legal team on the final day of the two-day hearing, at times shaking his head, as the government’s lawyers argued that it was the right decision to adopt a “bespoke” approach to his security.
“The basis for the decision-making and the bespoke approach being adopted was that it had positive advantages from a security assessment point of view, not the least of which was that it would be focused on actual facts in the future,” James Eadie, representing the Home Office, said.
Part of Wednesday’s hearing was heard in private as the court heard arguments concerning specific security arrangements.
A woman in the public gallery shouted support for Harry as he left the court during a brief break.
Harry’s lawyer Shaheed Fatima had told the court on Tuesday that the decision to take a flexible approach to security meant the prince had been “singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment”.
She also said in court filings that al Qaeda had recently called for Harry to be murdered and that he and his wife Meghan had been involved in “a dangerous car pursuit with paparazzi in New York City” in 2023.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin and Michael Holden; Editing by Ros Russell)
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