Prince Harry spends second day in London court pushing for restoration of full U.K. security detail
London — It was Prince Harry versus the British government on Wednesday as the Duke of Sussex made a rare public appearance at the U.K. Court of Appeal in London for a second consecutive day, hoping to get his full British security detail reinstated.
Prince Harry is challenging a previous ruling by the U.K. High Court that let the government significantly scale back his close protection detail when he's in Britain, following his decision to quit his job as a working member of the royal family and move to the U.S.
Harry and his lawyers argue that private bodyguards, who cannot carry guns under British law and who do not have access to the government's security network, are not sufficient to protect himself and his family when they come back for visits.
Throughout most of his life as a working royal, the 40-year-old Duke of Sussex enjoyed blanket personal protection provided by British police. In February 2020, after he stepped down from royal duties, that was downgraded to security measures to be considered on a case-by-case basis. At the time, Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, cited privacy concerns and their desire to be financially independent for their decision to abandon their formal roles as working royals.
The prince lost a legal challenge he filed against that 2020 decision last year, and it is that 2024 ruling he's been appealing in court this week. Back in London for the hearings, Harry told the appeal court through his legal team that he and Meghan had decided to leave Britain primarily because of the security downgrade. Parts of this week's two-day hearing were held behind closed doors to ensure secrecy around security arrangements for the royal family member.
His lawyer argued in court on Monday that Harry was "singled out" and given "inferior treatment," and that the government body in charge of determining his security requirements did not follow standard procedure in obtaining expert analysis on threats facing the Sussexes before it downgraded his protection.
The government argues that Harry and his lawyers are only citing a small body of evidence in their appeal, not the entirety of the decision making process.
Speaking Tuesday in court, James Eadie, a lawyer representing the British Home Office, defended the "bespoke" security arrangements approved in 2020 for Harry and his family as a necessarily "flexible and tailored approach better matched to (the prince's) revised circumstances."
Harry's lawyers have cited several incidents during the proceedings to back up his case for more robust protection. In 2020, al Qaeda reportedly called for his assassination. He has also been threatened by neo-Nazi and other extremist groups, and in 2021 and 2023, in London and New York respectively, he was hounded by paparazzi.
Harry's mother Princess Diana was killed in 1997 at the age of just 36 in a car crash after her vehicle was chased by paparazzi through the streets of Paris.
Harry has said he wants his children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, to feel safe at home when visiting the U.K.
Britons who spoke with CBS News outside the Royal Courts of Justice were split in their opinions on the matter.
"Absolutely. 100%," said one woman when asked whether she supported Harry's legal battle to get his full state security detail reinstated. "The man's got a right to defend himself and his family."
"Certainly not. He's over in the States. He's chosen another life," said one man. "He's deserted this country so he doesn't deserve anything from it. That might be a bit strong, but that's how we feel."
If Harry wins his appeal, the duke and his family could decide to travel back home more from the U.S., given his assertion that the reduced security is what drove them to take up residence in California's coastal haven of Montecito.
The Court of Appeal has said it will issue a decision on the case at an unspecified later date.
