The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of an appeal in his legal challenge over his security arrangements while visiting the UK.
Harry arrived at the central London court on Tuesday morning and waved as he entered but did not speak to reporters gathered outside.
He is challenging the dismissal of his High Court legal action against the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country.
Last year, retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane ruled that Ravec’s decision, taken in early 2020 after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit as senior working royals, was not irrational or procedurally unfair.
The Home Office, which has legal responsibility for the committee’s decisions, is opposing the appeal, with its lawyers previously telling the High Court that decisions were taken on a “case-by-case” basis.
The Court of Appeal hearing before Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean and Lord Justice Edis is scheduled to begin at 10.30am on Tuesday and is due to be heard over two days, with a decision expected in writing at a later date.
Ravec has delegated responsibility from the Home Office over the provision of protective security arrangements for members of the royal family and others, with involvement from the Metropolitan Police, the Cabinet Office and the royal household.
In February 2020, the body decided that the duke and his family should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country, after they moved to the US.
After Harry took legal action the following year, the High Court heard in 2023 that an offer from Harry to pay for security himself had been refused, with the duke’s lawyers claiming he “does not feel safe” when visiting under the new security arrangements.
Barristers for the Home Office, which is legally responsible for Ravec’s decisions, claimed that the committee decided that Harry would not be provided protective security “on the same basis as before” due to him no longer being a working member of the royal family and living abroad most of the time, and that decisions were taken on a “case-by-case” basis.
Sir Peter dismissed Harry’s claim in February last year, and initially denied him permission to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.
But the appeal court gave him the green light to challenge the decision in June last year, and ordered earlier this month that parts of the hearing concerning “confidential facts” should be held in private, meaning the press and public cannot attend.
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