Prince Harry's failed legal bid to reinstate his police protection 'cost the taxpayer more than £500,000'

Prince Harry's unsuccessful court case against the Home Office regarding the termination of his automatic police protection has resulted in a taxpayer expenditure of over £500,000, as disclosed recently.

Prince Harry's (pictured last March outside the High Court) failed court case against the Home Office over the removal of his automatic police protection has cost the taxpayer more than £500,000

The Home Office allocated £514,128 to contest two distinct judicial review claims initiated by the Duke of Sussex following the reduction of his security status subsequent to his and Meghan's transition away from their roles as working royals and relocation to the United States.


Officials spent £514,128 fighting two separate judicial review claims brought by the Duke of Sussex after his security status was downgraded 

The overall legal expenses may rise further, as Prince Harry has expressed his intention to appeal against his most recent legal setback. In the recent judgment, a judge concluded that Prince Harry had not sufficiently demonstrated that the decision to revoke his police protection was unjust or illegal. The cumulative costs incurred by the two claims could prompt inquiries regarding a member of the Royal Family resorting to legal action against the Government.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf on September 16, 2023


The breakdown of the legal expenses reveals that over £180,000 was allocated for barristers, £320,000 for the Government's legal department providing advice, and £3,200 for court fees. Additionally, nearly £10,000 was spent on disclosing electronic documents related to the case, which were believed to include correspondence between civil servants and the Royal Household. These figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information request by the Daily Telegraph.

Prince Harry contended that the decision made by the Home Office's Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) was unjust and endangered the safety of himself and his family. His legal team argued that he was unfairly targeted and treated less favorably compared to other VIPs.

Prince Harry and Meghan, pictured at an Invictus Games event in Canada on February 14, 2024


Contrastingly, the Home Office defended its stance by stating that the UK possesses finite public resources and advocated for police protection to be restricted to individuals "acting in the interest of the State through their public role." This assertion underscores the differing perspectives between Prince Harry and the Home Office regarding the allocation of taxpayer-funded security resources.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand outside Kensington Palace after announcing their engagement in November 2017

Following the High Court's ruling that deemed the decision to revoke his round-the-clock taxpayer-funded police protection lawful, Prince Harry was left with an estimated legal bill of £1 million. It's noted that he had been previously prevented from pursuing a separate claim regarding his request to cover the costs of his own protection.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend an event in Whistler near Vancouver in the build up to the 2025 Invictus Games 

In addition to his legal battle with the Home Office, Prince Harry is engaged in separate legal actions against media organizations. He is pursuing cases against News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, and Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail.

Earlier in January, Prince Harry abandoned a libel claim against The Mail's sister paper, The Mail on Sunday, regarding an article concerning his security. This decision left him facing an estimated legal bill of £750,000.

William, Harry, Meghan and Charles speak together at a service at Westminster Abbey in March 2019 - the year before the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US


Subsequently, he accepted substantial damages to conclude a four-year legal case against Mirror Group Newspapers over phone hacking allegations. These legal battles illustrate Prince Harry's ongoing efforts to address issues related to privacy, security, and media coverage.

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