Prince Harry said he would be appealing the High Court’s decision shortly after it was announced yesterday (Picture: AP)
Prince Harry demanded to be told the name of the person who was responsible for stripping him of his automatic police protection, according to court documents.
The Duke of Sussex lost a challenge at the High Court yesterday relating to his long-running battle with the Home Office over his right to armed security.
He now faces a bill of around £1 million, the Times reported, due to his need to pay legal costs for the Home Office as well as his own lawyers’ bills.
In the 52-page ruling yesterday, Harry’s fury and disbelief over the government’s decision is laid bare.
It quotes a letter to the then-Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, in which Harry compares his situation to the circumstances that faced his mother Princess Diana before her death in 1997.
He wrote of his dismay that despite him facing a ‘greater risk’ with ‘additional layers of racism and extremism’, ‘someone is comfortable taking accountability for what could happen’.
The letter continues: ‘I would like that person’s name who is willing to take accountability for this choice please.’
He also speculated that the move had been made ‘without a sensible amount of consultation as some form of punishment for protecting my family and putting them first.’
Shortly after the ruling from the High Court was announced yesterday, the duke’s legal team announced he would be appealing.
Harry voiced concern for the safety of himself and his wife Meghan (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
His legal spokesperson said: ‘The Duke of Sussex will appeal today’s judgment which refuses his judicial review claim against the decision-making body Ravec, which includes the Home Office, the Royal Household and the Met Police.
‘The duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec’s own written policy.
‘In February 2020, Ravec failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis.
‘The duke’s case is that the so-called ‘bespoke process’ that applies to him is no substitute for that risk analysis.
‘The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.