Prince Harry needed 'flexible' security for UK visits, court told

Lawyers for the UK government on Wednesday defended a decision to cut back Prince Harry's security after he stepped back from royal life, during the second day of his high-profile appeal.

Harry was back in the courtroom in London as the interior ministry's legal team responded to his challenge of its decision to downgrade his publicly funded police protection during trips to the UK.

The 40-year-old prince has been fighting to have his security in Britain restored to the same high level it was before he and his wife, Meghan, split from the royal family in 2020 and dramatically moved to live in self-imposed exile in America.

Harry, who is formally known as the Duke of Sussex, is no longer considered a working royal and the government decided he would not receive the "same degree" of protection as before.

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In the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, lawyer James Eadie, representing the Home Office, defended the "bespoke" approach adopted in Harry's case by a committee that deals with the protection of royals and public figures.

He said the committee's chair felt this was a "flexible and tailored approach better matched to (Harry's) revised circumstances".

In a dark suit and red striped tie, Harry listened intently, occasionally conferring with his lawyer.

Much of Wednesday's hearing is being held behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of discussing the security and threats around King Charles III's youngest son.

The prince took legal action against the interior ministry in 2021, and after his initial case was rejected last year, he brought a challenge before the Court of Appeal.

Lawyer Shaheed Fatima told the court on Tuesday's first day of the appeal that the prince had been "singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment".

In a written submission, his lawyers highlighted threats made against the prince.

"Al-Qaeda recently called for (Harry) to be murdered," and he and  Meghan were "involved in a dangerous car pursuit with paparazzi in New York City" in May 2023, the submission said, without providing full details.

Harry has long been haunted by the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997 as she tried to escape paparazzi photographers.

Harry and Meghan have started a new life in California with their two young children and are now largely estranged from the royal family.

But, the prince has said security concerns have hampered his ability to visit Britain, and his trips have usually been fleeting.

At around 1130 GMT, journalists were told to leave the court as a private portion of the hearing began.

Wednesday's session will wrap up the two-day hearing, and a decision is expected in writing at a later date.