Prince Harry 'highly unlikely' to win High Court appeal and warned over backlash

02 March 2024 , 08:30

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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, intends to challenge a High Court decision to downgrade his security detail (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Prince Harry has been advised not to challenge the High Court decision to downgrade his security detail - as it could see him on unfavourable terms with the taxpayer, an expert claims.

Duke of Sussex, 39, lost his security battle against the Home Office in a row over police protection but said he will appeal against this verdict. High Court judge Sir Peter Lane issued the ruling on Wednesday morning. However, Pauline Maclaran, a Royal author, has cast doubt on the potential success of any possible court appeal.

The professor of Marketing and Consumer Research in the School of Management at Royal Holloway, University of London, said: "We must remember that Harry has had a certain amount of success previously, particularly with the hacking case. However, there is no doubt he is not having a good run at present, although I think he is likely to appeal over the recent decision on his level of security in the UK."

The Duke of Sussex was left fuming when he was told he no longer qualified for protection after leaving for America with his wife in 2020 by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), governed by the Home Office.

Harry and Meghan left the UK for North America in 2020 (Getty Images)

But Harry, who lost the police protection after he and Meghan Markle left the UK for North America in 2020, said he and his family still face significant security threats and need the support when they visit Great Britain. The Duke has, since leaving for North America, been partially successful in what he has described as quests for justice.

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Prof Maclaran, though, feels the appeal will be a bridge too far and, if Harry does succeed, the mood among British taxpayers will become angrier. She told Express US: ""I don’t think he is assessing the British public’s mood well in that if he were to win this case eventually, there would be a lot of angry feelings about the (mis)use of taxpayers’ money.

"Indeed, this would be a decision that might rebound on the royals more generally as there are often rumblings about their expenditures funded by the public purse... I think it’s highly unlikely that any appeal will succeed. For the moment though and perhaps due to his previous success, Harry is likely to continue his crusades both against the press and for his family’s security in the UK as he appears to very motivated by what he sees as quests for justice."

Rebecca Robinson