Don’t expect to see Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children Lilibet “Lili” Diana and Archie in the U.K. imminently with their parents. The Associated Press reports that Harry’s lawyers argued during a hearing against the U.K. government today that the Duke of Sussex does not feel safe bringing his family to Britain since he is not allowed to pay for police protection out of pocket for them. He is fighting in court for the right to pay for police protection so they can visit.
Per AP, Harry “wants to be able to pay for the protection” and has claimed “his private security team in the U.S. doesn’t have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.” As ABC 7 pointed out, senior royal family members are provided taxpayer-funded police protection. Since Harry and Meghan stepped back from their senior royal family roles two years ago, they lost that privilege.
Harry’s lawyer Shaheed Fatima said during the London High Court hearing today, via E!, that “this claim is about the fact that the Duke does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him in June 2021 and will continue to be applied if he decides to come back. It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart. This is and always will be his home.”
The British government’s lawyer Robert Palmer, called Harry’s claim “unarguable.” He added in a written submission, per AP, that police protection isn’t something anyone can purchase. “Personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately financed basis,” he wrote.
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