Prince Harry’s ‘security deal’ rejected by ex-royal aide | UK | News
Prince Harry’s relationship with the Palace is reportedly strained once again due to an ongoing dispute over police protection. After losing a legal battle to have automatic police protection reinstated while he was in the UK, the Home Office reportedly ordered a full threat assessment for the first time since 2020, marking a serious reversal.
The results of the investigation by the Executive Committee for the Protection of the Royal Family and Public Personalities (Ravec) are expected this month; Sources close to Harry said they were ‘confident’ the situation could be reinstated; This will potentially allow him to bring his wife Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to the UK for a visit.
Insiders have previously suggested that having automatic police protection is “fixed” and that if a decision does not go Harry’s way it would mean “Palace intervention”.
But a former Royal aide denied such claims, calling them “both unfair and false”. They told The Times: “The Palace has no such authority within Ravec. “While they sit on the committee, it is not their role to advise on threat analysis or appropriate mitigation measures.
“This is a matter on which genuine intelligence and security experts will advise, which they do, of course, when the Duke’s visits to the UK are reviewed under the current Ravec process.”
Meanwhile, government sources reportedly told the publication that a risk assessment for Harry has not been completed. A source said: “I have no idea what the RMB advice is to Ravec [the Royal and VIP executive committee] “It will happen, but what I know for sure is that no one else knows, since they’re still handling the investigation.”
It is understood Harry is not expected to meet his father, the King, when he returns to the UK this month for his case against the Daily Mail publisher.
Harry will travel from California to London for the start of his High Court case against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
During her last visit in September, she was reunited with Charles for the first time in 19 months and the pair had afternoon tea at Clarence House, with the duke describing his father as “wonderful”.
But the monarch is expected to be in Scotland for his traditional post-Christmas visit when the trial is scheduled to begin on January 19, although the date and schedule have not yet been finalized.
The Telegraph reports that royal sources have accepted that the King does not want to be involved in any court proceedings and will keep his distance from his son in this situation.
In May, the Duke claimed in an interview with the BBC that the King would not speak to him because of his legal battle with the Home Office over security, and that while he expressed hope for “reconciliation” he did not know “how much time my father has left”.
The speech follows the Duke’s unsuccessful appeal at the Court of Appeal over security measures taken during his visits to the UK. A representative for Harry said they do not comment on security arrangements.
