Prince Harry ‘should be given royal protection’ during his visits to Britain after being ‘pushed like a beacon’ over his military service in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex has twice sued the British government over the 2020 decision to strip him of his Metropolitan Police bodyguards, without whom he says it is not safe for him, Meghan Markle, his son Prince Archie and daughter Princess Lilibet in Great Britain.
He has already lost one case, centered on his efforts to privately pay to reinstate his team, but the other case is on its way to trial.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation
Alex Bomberg, chief executive of private security firm Intelligent Protection International, is a former soldier in the British Army and later served as Kensington Palace aide to the Duke of Gloucester, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
He said News week: “Personally, I think Harry should have royal protection. He was born into the royal family.
“Even though he is no longer part of the royal family, this choice has already been made for him.
“He served in Afghanistan, he was pushed forward like a beacon there. So he was put in danger.”
Prince Harry has a private security team protecting him in America and also has access to private security in Britain, but on British soil they are not allowed to carry weapons.
Bomberg’s argument closely mirrors Harry’s own view, who argued that he did not choose royal life and the risks that come with it.
In July 2022, a judge threw out part of Harry’s case but allowed some of his arguments to go to trial, although it was still possible they could be thrown out after a full hearing.
These included his argument that he should have been given the opportunity to present his views to the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), the Home Office group that made the decision.
Harry’s argument that he should have the right to pay for his own police protection was also rejected in a separate lawsuit.
A legal representative for Prince Harry said in a January 2022 statement: “Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for the rest of his life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been the subject of well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats.
“While his role within the institution has changed, his profile as a member of the royal family has not. Neither has the threat to him and his family.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, but this security cannot replicate the police protection needed in the United Kingdom. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family cannot return home.
“The Duke first offered to personally pay for British police protection for himself and his family in January 2020 at Sandringham. This offer was rejected. He remains prepared to cover the cost of security, so as not to impose it on the British taxpayer.”
Jack Royston is News weekchief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We would like to hear from you.
newsweek-bbc
