Prince Harry has revealed that he wants his children to have police security so they “feel at home” in the U.K.
His comments open the door to the extraordinary possibility that the Sussexes could once again spend considerable time in the U.K. Less than four years ago, he and Meghan Markle fled the country, as Harry subsequently said, “fearing for our lives.”
Harry’s new remarks were contained in a statement that was read to the High Court in London by his legal team, who are arguing that the government should not have stripped him of the right to automatic police protection on British soil just because he quit the royal family and moved overseas.
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The government agency RAVEC, which is responsible for protecting high profile individuals, has argued that the “bespoke” arrangement that has been put in place is adequate. Harry has already failed in a request to be able to order up paid police protection on demand.
Much of the proceedings have been carried out behind closed doors as they touch on sensitive security matters, though Harry’s statement was released.
In it, per the London Times, he denied that leaving the U.K. was a choice, saying: “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.”
He added: “The U.K. is my home. The U.K. 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.”
Harry’s team have argued that Harry faces risk that “arises from his birth and ongoing status as the son of His Majesty the King,” and said, “This case is about the right to safety and security. There could not be a right of greater importance to any of us.”
