Prince Harry has expressed an interest in returning to England with his wife, Meghan Markle and their two children, to attend Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee celebrations. However, the Duke of Sussex has deemed it to be unsafe for him and his family, because of a lack of security. 

Harry is threatening legal action against the British government, for refusing police protection when he and his family travel from the US to the UK. As such, Harry’s legal representative issued a statement, detailing the need for police protection.

He said, “Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats. While his role within the institution has changed, his profile as a member of the royal family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family”. 

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The statement continued, “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 UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home”. 

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Further, it clarified, that the Prince has no wish to impose on the British taxpayer and has offered to pay for the police protection himself. The statement highlighted the fact that when he was visiting the UK in July 2021, to unveil a statue in honour of his mother, the Queen, his security was compromised at the time of leaving a charity event. This happened due to a lack of police protection. The statement went on to outline that people who leave public office and are deemed to be at risk of threats, receive police protection for no additional cost. 

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Harry’s legal representative drove the point home, saying, “The goal for Prince Harry has been simple – to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the UK so his children can know his home country”. 

Notably, the discrepancy has crept up after the 2020 ‘Megxit’, which saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, stepping away from their royal duties voluntarily. As a result, they are now ineligible to receive free police protection.