Tensions between Prince Harry and King Charles III could further heighten following another London court’s refusal of Harry’s plea to self-fund his police protection while in the UK.
Royal commentator Shannon Felton Spence interprets Harry’s previous assertions of feeling unsafe in the UK, his relocation to California, the recent court ruling, and their departure from Frogmore Cottage as indications that the Sussex family is unlikely to return to the UK for a lengthy stay.
Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” shares this view, suggesting it would require a significant event, such as a royal funeral or court summons, to bring Harry and Meghan back to the UK in the foreseeable future.
After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2020 decision to step down from their senior royal duties, the UK government withdrew their police protection. This led Harry to legally contest for his family’s continued protection and proposed funding it himself. Nevertheless, the government’s legal counsel objected, citing the impropriety of deploying police officers as private security for affluent individuals.
Justice Martin Chamberlain sided with the government, asserting the rejection of Harry’s bid to privately finance his police protection was neither inconsistent nor irrational.
Royal specialist Ian Pelham Turner says that the court’s refusal to allow Harry and Meghan to self-finance their police protection is a considerable blow for the couple.
King Charles III, due to the clear separation between the monarchy and government, does not possess the power to overturn the court’s ruling.
Despite the court’s rejection, Prince Harry may yet contest the denial of state-funded security in a separate lawsuit. If he wins, the police protection expenses would fall to UK taxpayers. However, Andersen proposes that King Charles III is unlikely to prioritize such matters and would probably respect the verdicts of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures.
