Prince Harry was reportedly left “terrified” after learning that one of his known stalkers had been sitting just metres away from him during a recent High Court appearance.
The Duke of Sussex had travelled to the UK for his privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of the Daily Mail. During two separate court sessions, the same woman, who has previously stalked him, was present in the public gallery.
Harry did not realise she was there at the time. However, his bodyguards noticed her and alerted court staff.
Sources said the situation highlighted how limited his security powers were inside the courtroom. “Harry’s security team was effectively powerless in that moment,” an insider told Radar Online. “They are not law enforcement, and the High Court is a public space. Unless a crime is being committed, there is very little they can do beyond keeping watch and informing court officials.”
The source added that the incident deeply unsettled him. “Harry lives with constant anxiety about his safety, especially when he is in Britain. Discovering how close she had been left him genuinely shaken and reinforced his fear that, without full protection, he is far more exposed than he should be.”
The incident comes as Harry’s threat level is being reviewed by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC. The Home Office ordered the review after the Duke wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Harry lost automatic taxpayer-funded police protection in 2020 after stepping down as a working royal and moving to the United States with Meghan Markle and their son, Prince Archie. He later welcomed daughter Lilibet in 2021.
Although he challenged the decision in court, he lost the case. He has since said he cannot safely bring Meghan and their children back to the UK without stronger security measures in place.
