Legal defeat leaves Duke without official protection for family visits
Prince Harry has lost his Court of Appeal challenge against the UK Home Office, marking a major setback in his efforts to secure police protection during visits to Britain. The ruling effectively blocks his hopes of bringing Meghan Markle, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet to the UK under formal security arrangements.
The Duke of Sussex had argued that without such protection, he could not safely visit the UK with his family. However, the court sided with the Home Office, which maintained that Harry's security status changed after he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California.
Harry, who personally flew in to attend the two-day hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, had hoped to overturn the original decision made by RAVEC (Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures). Government lawyers defended the committee’s judgment, claiming the challenge had no sound legal basis and accusing the Duke of failing to “see the wood for the trees.”
Since stepping back from royal duties, Harry has only returned to the UK for key events—most notably for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. This legal defeat now casts further doubt on whether the Sussexes will be able to visit the UK as a family in the near future.
