UK's Prince Harry loses legal challenge to pay for police protection

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - UK's Prince Harry on Tuesday lost a legal battle over his request to be allowed to make private payments for police protection in the country.

His lawyers sought a judicial review of the rejection of his offer to pay for protection in the UK. However, a judge rejected the request.

The initial request was made after Harry’s security arrangements were changed when he stepped down from his royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US.

Home Office lawyers had opposed the idea of allowing wealthy people to "buy" security from the police.

The Duke, who is now based in California, has argued that his private security team cannot replicate the work of police protection in the UK, citing the police enforcement's access to local intelligence and legal jurisdiction.

Since then, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been involved in what their spokesperson described as a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi in New York.