Prince Harry, the youngest son of King Charles III, lost his appeal on Friday against the British government’s decision to demot his police protection in the United Kingdom, after his break with the royal family and his move to the United States.
The judge said he was sensitive to the prince’s “powerful and moving arguments”, which was not present at the hearing. But he considered that the grievances of the Duke of Sussex did not constitute “a legal argument in favor of the protest” of the government’s decision.
After their decision to leave the country in 2020, the younger son of King Charles III and his wife Meghan lost the systematic protection provided for active members of the royal family and paid by the British taxpayer. From now on, the Ministry of the Interior assesses the need for protection of the prince on a case-by-case basis when it goes to the United Kingdom.
Harry, who lives in the United States and rarely goes to his native country, initiated legal action in 2021 to contest this decision.
Last year, he had already been dismissed at first instance, the justice considering that the authorities’ decision was “legally founded”. In another procedure concluded in May 2023, he was denied the right to benefit from police protection by paying it with his personal funds.
