Prince Harry has lost his bid to pay for police protection in the U.K. after stepping back from royal duties. This comes after an encounter with paparazzi in New York City heightened scrutiny of his security. The High Court in London rejected Harry’s request for a judicial review of the Home Office’s decision to reject his application to pay privately for protection from the Metropolitan Police.
Lawyers for the Home Office argued that it was improper for police officers to be hired out as private security guards. Harry and his wife, Meghan, are protected by bodyguards in the U.S., but traveling in Britain poses a particular challenge because their private security guards are not allowed to carry guns.
The prince is also challenging the process by which the Home Office declined to provide him with taxpayer-supported protection. The decision on paying for protection, which cannot be appealed, is a setback for Harry at a time when his security has come under heightened scrutiny.