Prince Harry has won his fight for automatic taxpayer-funded armed police protection when he visits the UK, according to sources close to the Sussexes.
A ruling in the duke’s favour, expected to be announced within weeks, could allow for a reunion between King Charles and his grandchildren Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, who live in the US.
Sources close to the Sussexes told The Mail on Sunday that the reinstatement of armed security has been assured after a fresh risk assessment was carried out for the royal and VIP executive committee (Ravec). They said: ‘It’s now a formality. Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is now nailed on for Harry.’
The decision to reassess the risk followed a letter the duke wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in September calling for such a reappraisal.
Harry was provided with police protection for one day only on a trip to the UK that month, for a children’s charity event.
A female stalker, who had previously made threats online, was able to access a secure zone there. Harry was said to have felt ‘abandoned’ two days later when – without police protection – the same woman got within ‘a stone’s throw’ of him at another engagement and attempted to approach him.
It fell to a member of the duke’s private staff, who was ex-Army, to step in and protect him. His timely intervention, where he managed to body-block the woman, was one of several security lapses that were included as evidence to be flagged to the risk management board which advises Ravec.
The duke, 41, has consistently argued that the UK is not safe for him and his family to visit without 24-hour armed protection.
Prince Harry (pictured) will receive automatic taxpayer-funded armed police protection when he visits the UK, according to sources close to the Sussexes
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The duke, 41, has consistently argued that the UK is not safe for him, his wife Meghan Markle (right) and his children to visit without 24-hour armed protection
His lawyers have argued that the withdrawal of security has left his life ‘at stake’.
In the letter, he asked Ravec, a Home Office committee, to ‘abide by its own rules’, which state that the risk-management board should assess each member of the Royal Family and other qualifying VIPs every year.
Harry’s last risk assessment was carried out in 2020, before he withdrew from royal duties. In May last year he lost a High Court battle that would automatically reinstate police protection but a fresh review was carried out last month.
According to sources, risk management board members have now decided that the duke does meet the threshold for protection – leaving Ravec with little choice but to approve his request. A source said on Saturday: ‘The only thing that could scupper his approval now would be an intervention from the Palace.’
That, however, seems increasingly unlikely given signs of rapprochement between the duke and his father. Charles is said to be very keen to meet his Californian-based grandchildren on home soil again. The King last met Archie and Lilibet when they visited the UK as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in February 2022. At that time Archie was two and Lilibet was six months old.
Ravec includes security officials from the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household, who work together to advise the independent chairman on who should be given protection and the appropriate level.
The Home Office has legal responsibility for the committee’s decision and successfully opposed the duke’s appeal last May.
A source close to the Sussexes said: ‘We aren’t taking anything for granted. Obviously given he’s the King’s son it is the right thing to do, but it’s about everyone being able to save face and the risk management board is the common-sense way to do that.’
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King Charles is said to be very keen to meet his Californian-based grandchildren Archie (middle left) and Lilibet (middle right) on home soil again
Harry has always claimed that the correct procedure was not followed when he and his 44-year-old wife Meghan were stripped of their automatic right to police protection on return trips to Britain.
A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘If you knew about the kind of threats Harry and his children have been getting then you would understand why he doesn’t want to bring the kids over until police protection is granted.’
Meghan is not expected to join Harry on a visit to the UK next month, when he is set to give evidence in a court case involving Associated Newspapers.
A spokesman for the Sussexes said: ‘We can’t comment on security matters.’ A government spokesman said: ‘The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.’
