After losing his security battle appeal challenge, Prince Harry addressed the safety of his family and the breakdown of his relationship with King Charles in an emotional interview.
Prince Harry has given a bombshell interview after sensationally losing his Court of Appeal challenge over his security arrangements in the UK.
The Duke of Sussex has shared his hopes of a “reconciliation” with the rest of the Royal Family as he claimed his father, King Charles, “refuses” to speak with him. The ruling handed down earlier this afternoon is a huge blow for Harry, who previously argued he wanted his children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, to know their UK heritage.
But he says he cannot bring them or wife Meghan to his beloved home country as he does not feel it is safe for them without taxpayer-funded police protection. He had been challenging the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office over 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 country.
The duke’s lawyers told the Court of Appeal that his safety, security, and life are “at stake” and that he had been “singled out” for “inferior treatment” at a two-day hearing in April. Harry’s appeal was rejected, however, by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean, and Lord Justice Edis.
Speaking tonight with the BBC, he said: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point. The things they’re going to miss, well, that’s everything.
I have always cherished my country. Despite what some people there have done. I adore the UK, and I do. He continued, “I think it’s really sad that I won’t be able to show my kids my homeland.”
Harry claimed that because of this security issues, Harry won’t speak to me about the breakup in his relationship with his father. The Duke claimed that because of his security arrangements in the UK, he had not asked his father to intervene. I’ve never asked him to intervene, he continued.
I’ve instructed him to leave. I let the experts do their jobs by going outside the box. The Royals and professionals make up the Ravec committee, which is expert. He continued, “Every visit I make back to the UK must pass through the royal household,” five years later.
The royal household is still my Ravec committee representative to this day. I don’t make that choice. I have to go through the royal household to understand that they are discussing and considering my best interests.
“I haven’t asked my father to intervene,” I replied. The Duke of Sussex responded, “Everything,” when asked by the BBC about how his current security arrangements made him feel uneasy. There are still many questions marks that many people will have as they continue, “I would not have taken this far if I did not have compelling evidence of facts that explain why the decision was made.” We have lost the appeal, but the other side has prevailed in keeping me unsafe.
Throughout the legal process, I am assured that I am completely informed. Based on this ruling, I have my worst fears known, and I haven’t learned that until this legal process in 2021.
“Did you know that the royal household sat on Ravec?” was one of the first things my lawyer said to me as the disclosure process began. “, and my jaw fell to the floor.” The Duke of Sussex felt disrespected by the system, according to Sir Geoffrey, who praised the arguments made by Harry’s barrister, Shaheed Fatima KC, as being “powerful and moving.”
However, he continued, “I could not conclude, having examined the specifics of the extensive documentation, that the duke’s concern for the decision challenge resulted in a legal justification.” The duke was, in effect, entering and exiting the Ravec protection group, he continued. Although he was outside the cohort when he was in the UK, his security would be regarded as appropriate.
He continued, “It was impossible to say that this reasoning was illogical or inappropriate; in fact, it seemed reasonable.” Ravec’s decision, according to Sir Geoffrey, was “understandable and perhaps predictable.” At Friday’s brief hearing, Harry was not present.
The Home Office, which is legally liable for Ravec’s decisions, opposed the appeal, whose attorneys previously claimed that Ravec’s decision was made under a “unique set of circumstances” and that there was “no proper basis” for contesting it.
We are pleased that the court has decided in favor of the government’s position in this case, according to a Home Office spokesman. The UK Government’s security measures are fair and effective. We’ve always had a policy of not providing detailed information about those arrangements because doing so could compromise their validity and affect people’s security.
The Mirror has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.
