Inside Prince Harry’s fight for police protection as he tries ‘the heartstrings route’
With the Duke of Sussex continuing his fight to have his taxpayer-funded security reinstated in the UK, the Mirror’s Pod Save the King on YouTube has delved into Harry’s emotional plea to the Home Office
Harry has been fighting to have his security in the UK reinstated for several years(Image: Getty Images for Invictus Games)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved back to the UK, and while they arrived in Birmingham on Wednesday with little fanfare, the Duke of Sussex is continuing his fight for taxpayer-funded security in his home country.
Harry and Meghan, along with their children Archie and Lilibet, have been living in California for six years since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit their royal roles in 2020 in search of personal and financial freedom from the monarchy. Now, upon their return to Britain, it is believed they will be residing in the Cotswolds, with the children enrolled in UK schools to start the new year in September.
Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in the UK earlier this week (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
For many royal watchers, confusion has arisen around why the Sussexes would move back to the UK when Harry has been campaigning for several years to have his police protection, which he was entitled to when he was a working royal, reinstated but to no avail.
The Duke has lobbied several times to have his security detail assessed by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), but is said to still be waiting for the outcome he desires.
And according to the Mirror ’s royal editor Russell Myers and deputy royal editor Jennifer Newton, Harry has had no choice but to try and pull on the heartstrings to get the police protection he has long been rallying for.
Harry has been lobbying for RAVEC to assess is threat level while in the UK (Image: Getty Images)
On the Mirror’s award-winning Pod Save the King YouTube show, Russell questioned whether the British public is growing fatigued by Harry’s constant campaign for protection, or if people have started to feel sorry for him as he has spoken openly about his desire to keep his family safe.
Jennifer said: “I think from the public’s point of view, there isn’t a lot of sympathy for Harry unfortunately, because they are thinking, ‘Why is my hard-earned taxpayer cash going to fund his lifestyle?’”
“But I do think you’ve got to take emotion out of it when it comes to security; it’s literally a case of: does he need it? The experts on RAVEC will allow it if he needs it. I do think this review should happen so we can get an answer once and for all.”
The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers and deputy royal editor Jennifer Newton on Pod Save the King(Image: The Mirror)
The deputy royal editor added: “He’s tried the legal route that hasn’t worked, and now he’s trying the lobbying, heartstrings route. If that doesn’t work, what other route does he have?”
Harry seems to have been given fresh hope of being granted taxpayer funded security, after a new review of the terror threat against his family has been ordered.
Sources revealed to the Mirror that the Home Office is “actively assessing” Harry’s case again after the Duke of Sussex wrote personally to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood asking for a renewed assessment of his security situation, as he arrived back in Britain on Wednesday.
A long-awaited risk assessment, carried out by Ravec, took place at the end of July, when Harry informed officials of his intention to travel back to the UK, where the family are said to be on an “extended” stay.
The Home Secretary has not made a decision on whether to change the Sussexes’ right to security from the ad-hoc arrangement in place since they left their royal roles in 2020. However, now the family have moved permanently to the UK, sources said “the goalposts have moved”.
Harry had not been told of the Committee’s previous conclusions prior to his move back to Britain. However, a source close to the duke said he was “confident of a change in proceedings”.
