Harry’s security case

[smilesy]

The judgment is in Harry loses High Court challenge over UK security protection www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68421992 See here

"The fact that the subject matter concerns "protection of life and safety/security of person' does not constitute such a reason. If it did, there would be vast numbers of substantive appeals in the immigration jurisdiction, where the Refugee Convention/ECHR Article 3 is
commonly engaged."

This is seriously embarrassing (although given the enormous sense of entitlement Harry has evidenced in this litigation, I doubt he feels remotely embarrassed). The High act judge here is saying “don’t think that you have particular grounds to use the civic services of the Court of Appeal because you say this is about the safety and security of human lives [Harry’s and his family’s]. You’re no different from every refugee suffering real persecution with a real fear for their lives, who might not agree with the Home Office’s decision. They’re not granted leave to appeal, and neither shall you be.”

Ouch.

I didn’t see any reference to a point of law that could legitimately see this being taken up by the Court of Appeal (I confess I haven’t read all the papers though). That said, this High Ct judge has issued so strongly worded a judgement and left so little room for uncertainty, that if the Court of Appeal does take it up, there will have been other factors at play. I just can’t see that happening here, for this. This doesn’t concern national security or (sorry, Harry) anything worth jeopardising the integrity of the judiciary for.

Yes indeed.

Wow! That was a very stinging riposte from the Judge. Finally someone speaking sense. Harry’s entitled high handed and demanding attitude really disgusts me. The very opposite of a humanitarian. He lives in his little bubble with his similarly rich and entitled friends, just thinking he can have whatever he wants, whatever the cost literal or otherwise to others. Be it the taxpayer or his family.

I suspect he'll make a big thing of bravely putting himself at risk to support Our Boys.

I'm wondering why Harry felt he needed to email Johnny Mercer? Johnny's been a big supporter of his - was he trying to influence a Govt Minster to pull strings for him behind the HO's back?

Yes I wondered that too. And it says he emailed a partner at Schilling’s that was not in the “confidentiality ring”. Trying to find a sympathetic ear maybe? It would seem that both he and his wife have no trouble playing fast and loose with court rules. Can’t imagine that Joe Public would be let off lightly for doing that, but at least the judge has brought attention to the
matter

I can just picture him at the keyboard, forwarding emails left right and centre in a frenzy of self righteous indignation. He must be hell to live with.

Interesting! Johnny Mercer is the Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs. He's been praising Harry a lot recently. He's the same MP who is pushing for the Invictus Games to come to the UK.

In fact, he launched a £26m bid, just last month, to host the IG in the UK in 2027.

These two are clearly working together to bring the IG to the UK, which Harry probably thinks could help his security case.

If it works, Harry would also get royal stardust sprinkled on the IG. King Charles would have to be represented by someone in the RF because the military swear allegiance to the Crown, promising to protect the monarch.
Then, it would look like he finally has the half-in, half-out arrangement he originally wanted.

Working for a law firm, my suspicion is that he received legal advice from his team that he didn't like. Frustrated, rather than discuss the advice further with his team - he instead sends it to another partner in the firm (probably someone who helped him on a separate matter which got a good result) to get a 'second opinion' and then to his friendly minister for back up/support/help. Someone in government who can pull some strings to support him. 'It's my case I will run it as I see fit' sort of attitude.

I have had a lot of clients like this. They don't get the answer they want they go to someone else and try to get a different one. Often the people they go to have no knowledge or experience of the law concerned but that doesn't matter. They are senior and important and so must be able to help. Nightmare clients.

I imagine the judgement was particularly forceful to try and quash any sort of appeal without presenting like a vexatious litigant. If there had been any sort of opening, the Judge knows it would taken to the next level as here is a client that doesn't follow advice and has seemingly endlessly deep pockets to litigate.

He's been refused leave to appeal. Good. He is going to have to pay 90% of the legal costs plus his own legal costs. Good. He is a spoilt little brat and it will do him good to be told No. He's effectively a minor royal and so are his wife and children. They will be effectively protected when they are here but not beyond what they are assessed as needing by Ravec. I resent the taxpayer having to pay for protection for them at all. The "risk" and the "fears for their safety" are delusional nonsense. Nobody cares if they they are in the UK and nobody is going to try to harm them. He has a bloated sense of self importance. He doesn't seem to get that nobody gives a monkeys about what he's doing and where he's going.

According to the ( now very silent) H and M supporters on here, they are living their best life in the US so why expend so much anger, time and money on a hopeless case ? Just enjoy your riches and family life in the sun .

So H hosted a polo tournament which apparently raised $1m for Sentebale and he's now having to fork out £1m of his own money for legal costs, which is a lot more than £1m. If he can afford to throw away money like that, why not give it to charity? Some philanthropist!

I think for years I fell for the Harry act of wanting to be a ‘normal bloke’. These legal battles show him as anything but that, the mania to be in control is off the charts.
At some point he needs to pull back and at least pretend he’s living this ‘best life’ they’re always going on about.
He’s quite clearly obsessed with money and being in charge.

I hope this means MM won’t come for the IG, she’s a massive distraction from what it’s all about.

Riches are relative. He is not wealthy by the terms of the sets he would like to move in and his apparent rate of spend does not seem to be matched by his current or potential future income.

Poor, underprivileged, Number Two Harry seems to have a lot of friends in high places looking out for him. The American ambassador has said the Biden administration will not be throwing him out of the country if it transpires he's an illegal immigrant with no visa/illegally working under whatever his visa status is/has lied on his visa application. Maybe Johnny Mercer should remember he works for his constituents and the British public, not this man boy. There are plenty of great things for veterans that £26m could achieve. Invictus has become a sideshow to MM's "fashion" show.

I think this is very likely what happened. The mere fact that he wants to appeal suggests that he doesn’t like to be told he is wrong or cannot do things his way. It’s a bit like him always trying to curry favour with the late Queen who had a soft spot for him. and hoping she would help him out. Fortunately , she was able to listen to advice and also able to separate her grandmotherly feelings from her duty as monarch

edited to correct autocarrot’s insistence on random capital letters 😡

There are always people who make threats against public figures, royal or not. This is why RAVEC assess Harry's security on a case by case basis. There have been and probably still are, threat's made against him and his family and he does need some measure of protection whilst here, even if that protection is within the usual cordon that attends royal events as it was during the funeral.

The problem I believe is that Harry, for various reasons, thinks that the threat against him and his family is bigger than RAVEC have evidence for. Whilst it is understandable that he is inflating the threat level and associated need for security in his mind, it doesn't and shouldn't affect what he is offered when he visits here. It must be awful to feel so threatened and not be able to get the security you feel you need but his feelings don't mean that we should be paying for them.

Also my understanding of the case (which may be wrong) was that he wanted the same level of protection his brother has - meaning in all countries at all times. This would mean that he would have state provided police protection in the US and wherever he travels to for whatever reason.

This is obviously very different (and cheaper for him) than only getting police protection on a case by case basis. Where no doubt he would have to provide details of his itinerary and reason for travelling to the UK in advance for consideration each time.

Really this outcome does him a favour in some regards. If he had been successful, the public uproar in the UK - at having to fund this Prince who has rejected his public duties to monetise his status would be huge. But then he probably doesn't care about that the British public too much at this stage.

These two are clearly working together to bring the IG to the UK, which Harry probably thinks could help his security case.

He doesn't have a case.

His Judicial Review was a resounding failure. RAVEC have come to the very reasonable decision that his security needs are under continuous review. If he is deemed to require official security, he will get it. If not, he won't.

And that's really all there is to it.

It must be awful to feel so threatened and not be able to get the security you feel you need but his feelings don't mean that we should be paying for them.

If he feels so in danger, why does he attend sports events with massive crowds? Or live in a 'sprawling mansion' which must be really difficult and expensive to secure? Or leave his children several time zones away while he and his wife attend some 'event'?

Indeed, why did he leave the secure home he had on the Windsor Estate? Even if he had 'stepped down' from royal duties he and his family could still have stayed in Frogmore and benefited from the 'built in' security.

This isn't about feeling at risk. It's about ego and resentment at being told no.

whilst costing the tax payers is crap it’s the damage he keeps doing to Britain on an international stage that’s pissing me right off. People reading headlines about poor Harry abandoned by the King and stripped of all security. That’s the message his supporters are taking and it was security that stopped him visiting his dying grandmother, not that he just couldn’t be arsed.

Very possibly, yes

I keep hoping he won't do it, and there have been happy exceptions, but too many Invictus events have been overshadowed by Harry's urge to make everything about him so I have fingers crossed for the next one

Thing is though, he can notify RAVEC of the families intention to travel to London of the Invictus Games ceremony. I would imagine they would get security for that.

He wants the security at his disposal 24/7 like the old days. He says jump, they say how high.

The reality of the situation is his global prominence is reducing as he gets further from the throne. If he had kept his head down and stopped courting global attention I am sure by this point he could have travelled all over the world fairly unnoticed. He didn't want that he wants attention. He says controversial things in interviews and books that point the spotlight on him.

I find it quite distasteful how much public funds are being spent on dealing with his petulant demands. The reality is most women walking the streets of London are at far more risk than he is, the man who has only ever been on a tube train once in his life. Has never sat on a night bus anxiously watching who is getting on board and where they are moving to. Never walked home alone in the dark with his keys in his hand on high alert for any male in the vicinity.

@CaptivatingandTrue I think you are right that he wants security at his beck and call. I still think it's appalling that he took his protection team to Canada, away from their homes and families, for an undefined period of time. They were expected to put their personal lives on hold according to his whims.
More importantly, what has always angered me about this case is comparing H's theoretical fears for his security to the very real fears thousands of women on a daily basis have over abusive men or stalkers. So often those fears are dismissed by police until it's too late.

I think he also conflates genuine threats to his safety with unwanted attention from photographers. He still seems to put all of the blame for his mother’s death on the paps ( yes I know they were far from innocent) and also they are so desperate to control the narrative around what they are doing. For example, they demanded to have all of the “chaotic car chase” footage. RAVEC are not interested in deterring the press. They assess any threats and act accordingly. Seems more than reasonable. And I agree with pp who have said he wants the cars and outriders for the sake of appearance