Prince Harry Is Pursuing Legal Action Before Returning To England With His Family
Ever since exchanging Buckingham Palace life for a relatively more peaceful one in southern California, Prince Harry has been the subject of much speculation over his loyalty to Mother England and to his family. In the past year, he has returned to his homeland for the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip, and again for the unveiling ceremony of a statue dedicated to his mother, Princess Diana. His future travel plans, however, have been a huge question mark. Will he and wife Meghan Markle have daughter Lilibet christened at Windsor Castle per family tradition? Will they come honor Queen Elizabeth this summer at her Platinum Jubilee?
Up until now, the media has largely assumed that Prince Harry's decisions have been based on his still-tense relationships with Prince Charles and Prince William. His father is reportedly still nursing hurt feelings over his younger son's blunt public comments about palace life (via Us Weekly). But a newly released document reveals that security concerns, not family relations, are behind the Duke of Sussex's reluctance to return to the UK for important occasions.
Prince Harry's legal team have submitted a "pre-action protocol letter" to the British Home Office, a warning shot before they move forward with a formal lawsuit. It demands that the British government provide him and his family with police security on his future trips abroad. While the prince does have his own security team in California, they "cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK," say the lawyers.
Prince Harry has offered to pay for his own police security
The British government stopped providing official police security to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they stepped down from their royal duties, per the Daily Mail. Now, Prince Harry is fighting back, arguing that he is still an heir to the throne, and as such deserves the same protection as the rest of his family.
Royal biographer Omid Scobee tweeted the statement, which begins, "Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life." It goes on to note, "While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Neither has the threat to him and his family." The prince is willing to pay for the security force out of his own pocket — an offer that was rejected in 2020. The lawyers point out that Harry put his own life in jeopardy last summer when he traveled for the statue unveiling in July 2021. He had to provide his own bodyguards for the post-ceremony reception because he was not given government protection.
"The UK will always be Prince Harry's home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in," concludes the legal statement. "With the lack of police protection, comes too great a risk. Prince Harry hopes that his petition — after close to two years of pleas for security in the UK — will resolve this situation."
The Daily Mail notes that the queen has been "made aware" of her grandson's action, and speculates that this may fan the flames of the ongoing feud between Prince Harry and his family.