Prince Harry Says His ‘Worst Fears Have Been Confirmed’

The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, reside in Montecito, California, with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.

Following their step back from official public duties in January 2020, they purchased a property in the celebrity hotspot after some months in Canada and the United States. During a ‘Sandringham summit,’ which aimed to agree on the terms of their new roles, the couple was told they wouldn’t retain full-time police protection.

Such protection is granted to King Charles III, the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their three children.Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would receive ‘bespoke’ security service, requiring 30 days’ notice of any plans to travel to the U.K. Each visit would be assessed for threat levels and whether protection is needed.

Now, Prince Harry has spoken out on his long-running legal battle after attending a two-day hearing at the Court of Appeal in London.

In February 2020, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) decided Prince Harry and his family should receive a different degree of protection when in the U.K. after moving to the U.S.

The duke has argued that he cannot bring his wife and two children to the country as he does not feel safe, despite the offer of security if there is a specific threat.

It is reported that Prince Harry suggested the decision to take over his security arrangements in the U.K. was an attempt to prevent him and Markle from quitting work as royals and moving abroad, which Buckingham Palace sources have vehemently denied.The appeal comes after retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane ruled last year that Ravec’s decision was lawful.

The Home Office, which has legal responsibility for the committee’s decision, opposes the appeal.

Shaheed Fatima KC, representing Prince Harry, told the appeal that the duke had been ‘singled out for different, unjustified, and inferior treatment.’They also asserted that this decision excluded him from the same protections extended to others in the ‘Other VIP Category,’ such as prime ministers and pop stars.

As Prince Harry left court on April 9, he told People magazine that his ‘worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case – and that’s really sad.’

He apparently added that he was ‘exhausted and overwhelmed.’

At the end of the hearing, judge Sir Geoffrey Vos said the Court of Appeal’s decision would be given in writing at a later date, ‘most unlikely’ to be before Easter.