Prince Harry has lost a High Court case against the government over the level of security protection for him when in the UK.
The Duke of Sussex was trying to overturn a ruling that saw his security status downgraded after he stopped being a “working royal”.
His lawyers said there was injustice in how the decision was made.
The Interior Ministry said earlier that his security was determined on a case-by-case basis.
Last December, when the appeal was lodged, Home Office lawyers told the High Court that Prince Harry would still have publicly funded police security, but these would be “ad hoc arrangements, tailored to him”, rather than the automatic security provided for full security. – Working time of royal family members.
Most of the legal proceedings, covering security arrangements for high-profile figures, were held privately in December, with retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane handing down the ruling on Wednesday morning.
The ruling could have implications for the Duke's future visits to the UK, as he previously said the lower level of security made it difficult to bring his family into the country.
In the ruling, Sir Peter dismissed the Duke's case, arguing that there was no illegality in reaching the decision to downgrade Prince Harry's security status, and that any departure from policy was justified.
It found that the decision was not unreasonable, nor was it tainted by procedural injustice.
In the 51-page, partially redacted document, Sir Peter said Harry's lawyers had taken an “inappropriate formal interpretation of Operation Ravik”.
The Ravec, or Royal Executive and VIP Committee, arranges security for members of the royal family and other dignitaries. Responsibility was delegated to the Home Office, and involved the Metropolitan Police, the Cabinet Office, and the Royal Household.
The ruling also concluded that the “ad hoc process” that Ravik devised for Prince Harry “was and remains legally sound.”
Last year, Prince Harry lost a legal bid to be allowed to make special payments for police protection when he was visiting the UK, in a case that also focused on concerns about reduced security since he stopped working full-time in the royal family.
Prince Harry, who did not attend the hearing in December, lives in the United States with his wife, Meghan, and their two children.
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