Prince Harry Is Battling The Government For Security In The UK, Offers To Pay Out Of Pocket

Feb 04, 2022 by apost team

Being a member of the Royal Family comes with its own set of unique challenges. Among these challenges are security risks and the need for protection. Many see the need for a security detail to only be necessary during royal duties, while others feel it is necessary to have protection all of the time. In the case of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the couple has stepped down from their royal duties but feels they still require police protection when they are in the UK.

Prince Harry asked for police protection when he visited Sandringham back in January 2020, but was denied. This time he is preparing to return to the country for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration in June and has offered to pay for the protection from his own money. When his request for security again was denied, Harry decided to file a lawsuit. This has reportedly infuriated government officials.

This issue is complex, and while it may seem obvious that the prince should be protected, he is technically a private citizen now that he has stepped down. For the government to allow a private citizen to hire police officers for security purposes would set a bad precedent for others. Most notably, people like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg who look for high caliber security when visiting the UK, and could afford the price tag.

For Prince Harry and his family, the threat to their security did not go away when they took a step back from their royal duties. In America, the couple pays for their own private security services but feels these would not be adequate while in the UK. Read on to learn more about this complicated situation.

According to the BBC, in September, Prince Harry filed a legal claim "to challenge the decision-making behind the security procedures, in the hopes that this could be re-evaluated for the obvious and necessary protection required.”

When visiting London for a charity event in July 2021, Prince Harry’s car was chased by the paparazzi. This is one security incident cited in the Duke’s lawsuit “against the decision of a public body or government department.”

A representative for the Duke of Sussex said in a statement:

"Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats. The UK will always be Prince Harry's home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in. With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk.”

A government spokesperson claimed: “(The UK’s) protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements. To do so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security."

The Duke and Duchess say that their private security team is not adequate in the UK due to a lack of local intelligence and jurisdiction. A legal representative for Prince Harry added: 

“The Duke first offered to pay personally for UK police protection for himself and his family in January of 2020 at Sandringham. That offer was dismissed. He remains willing to cover the cost of security, as not to impose on the British taxpayer.”

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Others are saying that Prince Harry will not be receiving the police protection no matter who is paying for it. “I've not seen anything in writing that suggests this is about whether or not he pays for it. It's about whether or not the security is granted here that is the issue,” a source shared, according to Daily Mail. 

A security source also said, “When Harry left The Firm the terms of his divorce were clear. Like other members of the public, he and his wife are not able to hire armed cops at will – no matter how much they offer to pay.”

The source added that the “security they pay for in America could not be replicated in the UK because we don't allow people to wander the street with guns here…(And) other minor Royals manage to function in normal life without armed guards.”

Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lillibet still has not met Prince Charles or the Queen. Hopefully, the security issues will be handled so the whole family can return to the UK for the Platinum Jubilee. Another source to the royal family shared:

“There has been a definite thaw in relations between Harry and Charles. They are on much better terms and have been having friendly chats and video calls. It has been suggested to Harry he may live to regret any lingering family bitterness, and he has taken that on board. There is a feeling he is coming back more into the fold and wants to be closer to his family.”

What is your opinion on this matter? Do you think Prince Harry should receive police protection in the UK? Let us know and feel free to send this along to your friends and family.