PRINCE Harry has lost his latest legal bid over his security after being slammed for trying to use the Met Police as “private bodyguards for the wealthy”.
The Duke of Sussex had attempted to appeal against a decision not to let him hire armed police bodyguards when he visits the UK.
Prince Harry has lost his latest legal bid
But the High Court today concluded he could not seek a judicial review over the ruling made in 2020.
Harry is suing the Home Office because it refused to spend taxpayers’ money on bodyguards after he left the royal family.
He wanted to fund his own Met Police armed bodyguards but the Home Office refused.
The High Court heard earlier this month how Harry had brought a case against the Home Office and the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec).
The committee claims that allowing Harry to pay for his own protective security would be contrary to the public interest and undermine public confidence in the Met Police.
His legal team argued he was not given an opportunity to make representations to Ravec before it turned down his offer.
They also said the decision could not be reconciled with rules that expressly permit charging for certain police services.
This includes using privately-funded police at one-off events such as football matches, marathons and celeb weddings.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Chamberlain said: “In my judgment, the short answer to this point is that Ravec did not say that it would be contrary to the public interest to allow wealthy individuals to pay for any police services.
“It can be taken to have understood that s. 25(1) (of the Police Act 1996), to which it referred, expressly envisages payment for some such services.
“Its reasoning was narrowly confined to the protective security services that fall within its remit.
“Those services are different in kind from the police services provided at, for example, sporting or entertainment events, because they involve the deployment of highly trained specialist officers, of whom there are a limited number, and who are required to put themselves in harm’s way to protect their principals.
“Ravec’s reasoning was that there are policy reasons why those services should not be made available for payment, even though others are.
“I can detect nothing that is arguably irrational in that reasoning.”
The Met Police claimed Harry paying for police bodyguards would lead to a two-tier system where the rich and famous fund their own private force.
The force also said it would would divert vital resources from those truly in need.
They concluded Ravec had been “reasonable” in finding “it is wrong for a policing body to place officers in harm’s way upon payment of a fee by a private individual”.
The Sussexes were stripped of their round-the-clock protection when they stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
Harry has moaned he is unable to return with Meghan, Archie and Lilibet, “because it is too dangerous”.
He gets security when he stays at Frogmore Cottage or attends royal events but has to fend for himself if he wants to see friends and visit his UK charities.
A full hearing in Harry’s legal challenge against the Home Office and Ravec’s decision making is yet to be held.
Harry and Meghan were stripped of their security after leaving the royal family
