The Duke of Sussex lost his appeal where he claimed he should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK and now claims a proper risk assessment has not taken place
Prince Harry claims that “it’s a dereliction of duty” by security bosses over protection for his family when travelling to the UK.
The Duke of Sussex lost his appeal over the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office for the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK. And after the defeat of his Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements in the UK he told a BBC interview that he “can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK”.
Harry’s level of security changed in 2020 when he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to California for financial and personal freedom.
And in a statement after the court verdict, Harry has blasted Ravec, which has delegated responsibility from the Home Office for royal security, and said that a proper risk assessment had not been made for him.
He stated: “In recent years my family and I have been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats, including from al Qaida. There are individuals in prison on UK soil because of such threats. And yet, since 2019 a proper risk assessment has not been conducted. This is not only a deviation from standard practice, it’s a dereliction of duty.”
Harry also referred to his specific circumstances saying: “My ask has been simple: that the standard protocols for security and risk assessments be applied to me in the same way they are to others – including people who have never carried out any public functions on behalf of the state.”
And he said how his situation was different adding: “The stark difference is I was born into lifelong circumstances that create inherent security risks. My decade of military service, particularly two tours of duty in Afghanistan, as well as social and tabloid media frenzy, have only intensified those threats. Uncovering how my immediate family’s safety was knowingly put at risk, as well as who was behind it and who sanctioned it, has been truly devastating.
“No matter where we may agree or disagree, I would never wish harm on anyone. These legal proceedings have revealed to me that this basic duty of care was not and is not applied to me.”
And he has also called for the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to review Ravec. He wanted her to “look at this very, very carefully”, and warned that the royal family ’s power over security means it “can be used to control” family members.
