Prince Harry granted right to appeal UK rejection of publicly funded security

Prince Harry has been given permission to appeal against the British Government’s refusal to grant him publicly funded police protection in Britain.

The Court of Appeal gave the Duke of Sussex permission to challenge a ruling made earlier this year in the High Court. Permission was granted in May, but was only notified on 6 June.

Judge Peter Lane ruled in February that a government panel’s decision to grant Prince Harry “specific” security as needed after he steps down as a working member of the royal family was not unlawful, irrational or unreasonable.

Judge Lane wrote, “To the extent that difficulties might otherwise arise from a case-by-case approach, they have not been shown to be of a kind that would overcome the high hurdle that would render the decision making irrational.”

The long-running battle began more than four years ago when Prince Harry first challenged the panel’s decision, arguing that he and his family needed armed protection because of the hostile attitude toward him and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, on social media and because of the relentless harassment by the news media.

Prince Harry, 39, the younger son of King Charles III, has broken with royal family tradition by challenging the Government in court and suing the tabloid press.

He scored a major victory in December when a judge found the phone hacking case was justified. Mirror Group Newspapers was “widespread and habitual.” He has two similar cases pending against the publishers Sun And daily Mail,

The security case appeared to be over after the High Court in April rejected his first request to appeal Judge Lane’s ruling. But Appeal Court Justice David Bean said on May 23 he could challenge the lower court’s decision.