Prince Harry arrives in court ahead of appeal against UK security ruling

The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice before an appeal in his legal challenge over his security protection when in the UK.

A High Court judge ruled last year that there had been no unlawfulness in a decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status.

The prince has not been automatically provided the same level of police protection given to the Royal Family since he stepped back as a working royal in 2020.

He has argued that he has been treated unfairly as he still faces significant security threats, and the hearing on Tuesday marks the start of his appeal against the High Court ruling.

Prince Harry’s security in the UK is currently decided on a case-by-case basis, the same way as other high-profile visitors to the country.

His lawyers had previously said that “the duke is not asking for preferential treatment”, arguing instead that there had been an unfairness in how decisions were made about his publicly-funded police protection.

The prince’s legal battle reflects his worries about his and his family’s safety, with only a handful of visits to the UK in recent years.

But the judge ruled last year there had been no unlawfulness in the decision-making or anything that could be called irrational in the changes to Prince Harry’s security in February 2020.

In 2023, Prince Harry also lost a legal challenge in his bid to be allowed to make private payments for police protection.