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Prince Harry has lost a High Court challenge against the government over his security when in the UK. The Duke of Sussex was contesting a decision to downgrade his security status when he stopped being a working royal.
He argued that the downgrade was unjust given the ongoing security risks he faced. Despite his legal team asserting that he was not seeking special treatment, they maintained that the decision-making process concerning his publicly-funded police protection lacked fairness.
Following his transition away from being a working royal and relocating to the US, Prince Harry found himself subjected to a case-by-case evaluation for security arrangements, similar to other high-profile visitors to the UK.
Despite his efforts to contest this approach, the court upheld the actions of the security oversight committee, known as "Ravec," which includes representatives from the Home Office, Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Household.
The court ruled that there was no unlawful conduct in the decision-making process or any irrationality in the changes to Prince Harry's security arrangements in February 2020. Despite some portions of the hearing being held privately for security reasons and parts of the ruling being redacted, the court deemed the tailored security arrangement for Prince Harry as legally sound.
In a separate ruling, Prince Harry's attempt to make private financial payments for police protection during his UK visits was also rejected. These legal battles underscore Prince Harry's concerns for his safety and that of his family, especially highlighted by incidents such as encountering paparazzi at public events.
Despite the court's decision, Prince Harry's legal team plans to appeal, arguing that the Ravec committee didn't adhere to its own regulations and dismissing the bespoke security approach. Meanwhile, Prince Harry, although refraining from commenting directly on the ruling, released a video supporting awards for children with complex health needs, tying back to the WellChild awards event where security concerns arose.
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