Prince Harry is currently locked in a complicated, expensive, and most likely lengthy court battle with Queen Elizabeth II‘s Government.
Earlier this year, the Duke of Sussex confirmed in a surprising statement that his legal team was taking the Home Office to court because they refused to let him pay for the security that he and his family require when they travel to the UK.
The British prince said that he fears bringing his wife, Meghan Markle, and their young children — Archie and Lilibet — to his homeland due to the many threats he receives because he is a high-ranking member of the royal family and a former soldier.
Markle and her son, Archie, left England for good in early 2020 and late 2019, respectively.
Prince Harry’s only daughter, who will turn one in June, has never been to England and has yet to meet Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, or Prince William.
Prince Harry’s legal team took the matter to the highest court in England last week in his pursuit of the judicial review of the Home Office’s decision.
Prince Harry’s representative fought tooth and nail to keep some information about the case under wraps, but he failed.
According to the Daily Mail, court documents revealed that Prince Harry wanted to obtain a “far-reaching confidentiality order on documents and witness statements surrounding his case against the government.”
However, the Home Office pushed for transparency using the following arguments: “..there must be a sufficiently good reason, in the wider public interest, to justify the departure from open justice that such an order involves.”
It led to both parties agreeing that some documents and information would be made available to the general public.
The Government made it clear that they were not thrilled to keep some details secrets because that created “an unprecedented expenditure of time and resources.”
Prince Harry is not pleased with the reports that he did not offer to pay out of pocket for his and his family’s protection. The independent royal is reportedly going after the publication for libel.
The media outlet alleges the Government’s attorneys revealed that Prince Harry only offered to pay for his security in “later correspondence.”
Court papers say: “The offer [to pay] is now advanced in the Claimant’s witness statement…but notably was not advanced to RAVEC in June 2021 or in any of the pre-action correspondence which followed.”
Prince Harry, who is on a mission to end misinformation online, was blasted by a royal author for spinning the story with a statement that is untrue so he could come out on top.
Royal author David McClure slammed Prince Harry by saying, “Once more confusion about the accuracy of messages coming out of the Sussex camp. First, Harry offers to pay, and then when he visits the UK, he does not.”
Former Minister Norman Baker went after Prince Harry by adding: “The police are not a commodity to buy like a pack of biscuits. If Harry has concerns about a specific threat, he should share those with the police…”
Note that court documents explained that Prince Harry still benefits from “exceptional status” which implies he is given adequate protection “depending on the nature of his visits to the UK that is assessed on a case-by-case basis.”
Home Office QC Robert Palmer has informed Prince Harry that if he loses the court case, the Government will “seek the costs incurred in full, including those of the confidentiality exercise.”
It is still not known if Prince Harry and his family will travel to London for Queen Elizabeth’s upcoming Platinum Jubilee.
The Queen has been isolated after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and has been forced to cancel virtual engagements.
