Prince Harry’s attempt to regain his official police escort in the United Kingdom has cost British taxpayers nearly $890,000.
The figure includes approximately $137,000 for his most recent appeal to the court, which was also dismissed.
Prince Harry’s Security Lawsuit Cost
Harry began this legal battle in 2022 with two lawsuits against the Home Office after losing his right to police protection following his departure from the active monarchy and his move to North America with Meghan Markle.
In total, the government spent about $748,000 on the first two phases of the process, and the judges ordered the Duke of Sussex to cover 90% of those costs.
Added to this are the costs of the failed appeal in 2024, the distribution of which has not yet been publicly defined. Combining these amounts with the fees of his legal team, Harry could end up facing an outlay of more than $1.5 million.
Since childhood, the youngest son of King Charles III has been under the protection of the Metropolitan Police. However, when he abandoned his royal duties, the authorities reviewed the level of security to which he was entitled.
Although he is assigned bodyguards on certain official occasions, he does not have full coverage. Harry questioned the legality of that decision and also tried to pay privately for the same service, but both legal actions failed.
During the proceedings, his lawyers argued that a sufficient risk assessment had not been carried out.
The court acknowledged that the Home Office had not followed standard procedure by failing to consult the Risk Management Board, but concluded that the decision was legal given the circumstances.
In his response, Harry criticized the system, which he said works against him while protecting those in power.