London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Prince Harry faced tensions with royal officials as security downgraded, court hears

Prince Harry faced tensions with royal officials as security downgraded, court hears

The Duke of Sussex faced "significant tensions" with a top aide to the Queen involved in downgrading his security, a court has been told.

Challenging the decision, Prince Harry's lawyer said he had not been aware Sir Edward Young, the Queen's private secretary, played a role.

The decision was "materially prejudiced" as key information was withheld, Shaeed Fatima QC said.

The duke lost full protection after he stepped back from royal duties in 2020.

Without a guarantee of police protection, Prince Harry believes it is too dangerous to bring his family from the US to visit the UK - which his lawyer has previously said "is and always will be his home".

The duke's legal team argued the decision about his security by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as Ravec, was invalid because of "procedural unfairness".

They questioned whether it was "appropriate" for Sir Edward or other members of the Royal Household to sit on the committee, when Prince Harry had been told it was "independent".

Representing the duke, Ms Fatima said: "He didn't know at that stage that the Royal Household was involved at all."

Sir Edward Young, the Queen's private secretary, had a tense relationship with Prince Harry, lawyers said


She said Prince Harry should have been able to make direct representations to Ravec to ensure his arguments were properly communicated to the committee and been given an opportunity to respond to points being made by others, including members of the Royal Household.

Ms Fatima said his offer to pay for his own police protection "was not conveyed to Ravec" and so the decision was "materially prejudiced".


This court action is still at an early stage. Mr Justice Swift is being asked to decide whether Prince Harry has an arguable case going forward. That decision won't come for another few weeks.

However - the written and oral submissions heard in Court three this morning are headline-making because of the detail and most notably what were described as "significant tensions" between Prince Harry and the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young.

No specifics were read out in court - sensitive information was kept out of the public hearing. But it does point to the breakdown in relations between the Sussexes and the Royal Household prior to their move abroad.

Whatever Mr Justice Swift decides, there may be further legal action as counsel for the Duke of Sussex has indicated a second judicial review claim has been started into whether he should be allowed to fund the security himself rather than having taxpayers pay for it.

An offer Prince Harry's counsel say was made - including in an email to Sir Edward Young in 2020 - but which was not passed on to Ravec.

Lawyers for the Home Office say Ravec was entitled to make the decision it did - to provide police protection to Prince Harry and Meghan on a case-by-case basis when they visit the UK.

Sir James Eadie QC, representing the Home Office, said in written arguments that personal tensions between Prince Harry and Royal Household officials are "irrelevant" to his change in status when he stepped back from royal duties.

He said there was "no basis" to conclude that the duke making representations to the committee would have led to a different outcome.

Prince Harry has previously argued his private security team cannot replicate the work of police protection in the UK, with their access to local intelligence and legal powers.

He and Meghan have only rarely visited since their move to California. On one visit in July 2021, the duke's car was chased by photographers as he left a charity event.

The Sussexes also stopped in the UK in April, meeting the Queen on the way to the Invictus Games, and attended the thanksgiving service during the Platinum Jubilee last month.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×