The Duke of Sussex has heartbreakingly confessed the UK is 'my home' and claimed he was 'forced' to step back from royal duties. Photo / AP
The Duke of Sussex has heartbreakingly confessed the UK is 'my home' and claimed he was 'forced' to step back from royal duties. Photo / AP
Prince Harry has made a heartbreaking claim to the High Court in his legal battle against the Home Office.
The Duke of Sussex has heartbreakingly confessed the UK is “my home” and claimed he was “forced” to step back from royal duties.
The confession comes as the prince takes on a legal challenge against the Home Office following its amendment to his security arrangements when visiting the UK. The decision was made in February 2020 by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) which agreed to change the degree of Harry’s publicly funded security. The prince quickly hit back arguing it was “unlawful and unfair”.
Now the two parties are in court once again with Harry fighting to retain his taxpayer-funded armed protection when he and his family are in the UK.
Prince Harry leaves the High Court after giving evidence in London, Wednesday, June 7, 2023 Photo / AP
The Daily Mail has reported the prince was not present at a hearing in London yesterday, however his barrister, Shaheed Fatima KC, read out excerpts from a statement written by Harry in which he said: “It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020.”
The prince added: “The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the US. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.
“I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
The two-and-a-half day hearing - which concluded on Thursday afternoon and due to confidential evidence, was largely kept private without public or media present, is now waiting for a ruling from Judge Lane.
Meghan Markle with her husband, Prince Harry, and their children, Archie, and Lilibet. Photo / Twitter
Fatima has previously told the court on behalf of Harry that he felt “singled out” and treated “less favourably” in the decision to change his level of personal security. She said Ravec had failed to carry out a risk analysis which she claims is a “crucial” part of its approach.
“No good reason has been provided for singling the claimant [the duke] out in this way,’ she said, later adding that if Ravec had “properly” considered the duke’s case, the outcome would likely have been “different”.
The Government has hit back insisting the duke’s claim be dismissed with its argument being Ravec was entitled to end Harry’s protection.
It said Ravec had decided “the bespoke process to be more effective, to allow more specific and informed consideration by Ravec of the threat and risk picture for each visit”.
The judge is expected to give his ruling at a later date.
