In a ruling handed down by the United Kingdom’s High Court earlier this week, Prince Harry lost his case arguing for police protection when he is back in his home country. He plans to appeal the decision. A legal spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said, “The Duke’s case is that the so-called ‘bespoke process’ that applies to him is no substitute for that risk analysis [that working members of the British royal family receive].”
Buried in the 51-page ruling (which you can read here) were details about Harry and Duchess Meghan’s visit to New York City in May 2023, including the New York Police Department’s finding that the couple was, in fact, endangered during a chase by paparazzi. But also of note in the document are details surrounding all of Harry’s trips to the U.K. since he and Meghan relocated to California, including their trip in September 2022—which was initially to “visit with several charities close to their hearts,” but turned into a much longer stay following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The ruling reveals that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hoped to bring their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, along with them on that trip, but that decisions made by RAVEC prevented them from doing so. (RAVEC is the committee that coordinates security between the Royal Household, the Metropolitan Police, and the U.K.’s Home Office.)
On page 24, the document reads: "The Home Office had been notified on 3 August 2022 that the claimant and his wife and children would be visiting the United Kingdom between 2 and 11 September 2022. The itinerary did not [redacted text]. On 10 August 2022, RAVEC met to decide what protective security, if any, should be provided. A letter outlining RAVEC’s decision was sent to the Private Secretary to the Sovereign, since the request for protective security had come through the Royal Household. The letter of 12 August was from the Chair of RAVEC to Sir Edward Young. It explained that [redacted text]."
In response, Prince Harry and Meghan’s team “wrote to say that the proposed security arrangements for the September visit were not lawful and that [redacted text] was plainly inadequate.”
Reading between the lines: The security arrangements were not strong enough for the Sussexes to feel safe bringing their children, which ultimately meant Harry and Meghan traveled to the U.K. without Archie and Lilibet. This was also why Prince Harry brought his original case about his family’s police protection. In that case, which he initiated in September 2021, his spokesperson said, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the U.K. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.”
Since moving to California in March 2020, Meghan and Harry have brought their kids back to the U.K. only once, in June 2022, for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. On that visit they celebrated Lili’s first birthday at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. This trip is not referred to in the document.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
