Britain's Home Office has revealed new information in Prince Harry's security case following his recent appearance at London's Royal Courts of Justice. According to legal documents (via the Express), the Duke of Sussex—who made an appeal after being stripped of his taxpayer-funded police protection in the U.K.—requested protection after receiving a threat from Al Qaeda terrorists.
Although parts of Prince Harry's appeal documents were "redacted for confidentiality reasons," the Home Office revealed that "The Appellant confirmed that he had requested certain protection after a threat was made against him by Al Qaeda."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020 and relocated to California. At the time, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) ruled that there wasn't a "basis for publicly funded security support for the duke and duchess within Great Britain," according to his lawyer, Shaheed Fatima KC.
However, after his protection was removed, the duke's security team was alerted of an Al Qaeda document that called for Prince Harry "to be murdered." Per Fatima, the group wrote that the duke's "assassination would please the Muslim community."
Despite this risk, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, do not receive Metropolitan Police protection when visiting the U.K. Prince Harry is currently awaiting on a ruling regarding his appeal.
The duke has stated that his lack of protection is why he doesn't feel comfortable bringing his wife and children to Britain. "It's still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read," he said in the 2024 documentary Tabloids on Trial.
Ravec's February 2020 decision stated that instead of official police security, the Sussex family would receive "bespoke" protection if they visit the U.K. depending on threat levels. Prince Harry must give 30 days' notice of any trips and a decision is made at the time on whether protection is deemed to be necessary.
