Prince Harry ‘was asked to give a month’s notice before making any trips to UK’
Prince Harry reportedly had to give a month's notice before any trip back to the UK, due to security reasons. The Royal has been stuck in a long running dispute with the government over his security arrangements when back in the UK. This has led to a prolonged legal battle between Harry and the Home Office after he decided to take action against them over a decision not to let him pay for police protection.
But it has recently emerged that whenever Harry has intended to return to the UK, which he has done on a number of occasions, he was told to give 28 days notice. This was so his security requests could be assessed after the Duke was told it would be up to the Home Office to decide what security was and wasn't necessary after he stepped back from his duties as a working royal.
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Harry has had to give the Home Office a month's notice before returning to the UK (AFP via Getty Images)
The Telegraph first reported on the condition the Prince faced. They added that he was left furious with the government department and allegedly demanded to know of anyone else with the same threat assessment that he had, who had received no security after leaving public duty.
The Duke also slammed the arrangements for his family's June 2021 visit for the memorial events for his mum, Diana, as "patchy, disjointed and inadequate".
Prince Harry and the Home Office's long running dispute centres around the security given to him and his family when he returns to the UK (alexilubomirski/Instagram)
This comes amid an ongoing dispute with Harry and Meghan and other royals over the role they'll play in the upcoming King's coronation. Specifics of the argument between the Duke and the Home Office were disclosed in legal documents relating to Prince Harry's libel claims against the Mail on Sunday. This case hinges on what he says is a "false claim" over his willingness to pay for his own protection.
The Duke won a judicial review against the Home Office's decision to deny his family automatic security in September 2021, but a date for the hearing has not yet been set. Summarising his claim against the Home Office, Harry's lawyers said that he is "gravely concerned about his safety and security during future trips to the UK" and that he feels he was left with no choice but to take legal action "given the gravity of what is at stake for him and his family." They continued: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been subject to intense media scrutiny, hostile social media attention, and targeting by violent extremists due to (amongst other things) the [Duke's] ten years of military service in the British Army, the Duchess of Sussex's race and their involvement in charitable and other social justice initiatives."
His lawyers said the 28-day period, during which a decision would be made whether to give him security or not, could threaten his safety and created uncertainty for the family. They cited the example of the Diana memorial visit, saying his own security team didn't have time to improve the proposed security plan. Another example cited was during a WellChild Awards charity event in July 2021, where his car was "interdicted by paparazzi ... needlessly placing the Duke of Sussex in a dangerous situation".
A Home Office spokesperson said the department does not comment on the individual security of members of the Royal family.