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 weird thing about this case is that no one is saying they won’t get security , just that it will be on a case by case basis . I just don’t get what is unreasonable about this . It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that he just wants to get his own way .

I think that's the point, @cyclamenqueen . Harry will get taxpayer funded security when he is in the UK.
Just not on his terms.

That is interesting @themessygarden. I was also thinking about Harry’s treatment of his close protection when he hit one of them. I don’t think either of them have good people management skills. It’s not always something that comes naturally and unfortunately, neither of them seem willing to listen to advice as to how to do anything, so I don’t they would take advice as to how to be a manager and behave towards those who work for you. I would not be surprised if the bullying allegations have some truth to them as both of them seem to think that yelling at people is the way to get things done

I think he objects to having to give advance notice of his itinerary (28 days?) whereas he is used to someone picking up the phone on his behalf and things will be arranged .
I also don’t get what is unreasonable about a case by case decision. He also needs to get used to the fact that in the not too distant future he will be so far down the pecking order to be almost irrelevant.

it’s a shame so much of the security case is confidential, if this is purely to get IPP or his security in the US paid for by the back door I’d rather they were honest. How can his security not be bespoke when he lives in another country. Does he expect a team of police protection to sit on their arses for 50 weeks a year so he can come unannounced for a two week holiday. Or would there need to be two teams in case Harry and Meghan come at the same time but have different schedules. Had his status not changed they would also have security abroad, will this cover trips to Europe? How does what he wants work?

I wonder if this is the start of the drip, drip of information?

If I recall from the original grandiose statement, Harry seemed to suggest that he would always require official protection . He himself said that he told Meghan there was no way “ they” would take away their security .
My understanding is that he wants full Met protection wherever he is ( like William) but happy to be corrected .

I think he doesn’t seem to understand that there is no “security fairy” that can just magic up special protection whenever he decides to rock up on a surprise visit. He doesn’t realise that SP deal not just with the Royals, but with politicians and visiting dignitaries etc whose movements are known well in advance in order to allocate security to them (apart from unforeseen events like the death of QEii for example). So 28 days notice seems perfectly reasonable. I’m not sure why Harry can’t get this 🤷‍♀️

He doesn't get it because a) he doesn't want to b) his whole case for security depends on him NOT getting it and c) he's still in royal mode expecting every one to jump and make his life easier because he says so. He's seeing now what it means to be outside when you have no-one to pick up the phone and organise stuff like security and outriders. It's just one long 'but don't you know who I AM?' whinge.

My understanding is that he wants full Met protection wherever he is ( like William) but happy to be corrected .

It's one thing to provide full protection for William and his family who are permanently resident in the UK and only make short trips abroad, usually planned well in advance.

It's quite another thing to provide it for someone who lives permanently abroad and who jets off all over the place at short notice. Choices have consequences, Harry.

I just don’t understand why he can’t see that he is the equivalent of Princess Margaret and her dcs. He really is channelling Prince Andrew - he wanted all the bells and whistles for Beatrice and Eugenie. Pompous dimwits, the pair of ‘em.

So 28 days notice seems perfectly reasonable.

Playing devils advocate for a moment. I can see how having to give 28 days notice to visit your home country, maybe catch up with friends there, or go to a sport event, would be a pain. Especially if cost/time off work don’t put limits on your travels. I wouldn’t like to have to do that.

I feel like he might have ‘over sold’ being in the RF to MM. There seems to be a sense that popularity would have more weight than succession. I think she thought it would be endless money as well, which it’s clearly not.
I wonder if he told her that there would be lifelong free security for life and now he’s trying to make it happen.

Just to be crystal clear here, when we are told that Harry 'costs us nothing', that's bullshit. All this unecessary court malarky costs us. His security costs us.

This is such an overlooked point.

He also cost the taxpayer many thousands with the shockingly murky deal he contrived over the Frogmore refurb.

We've never stopped subbing him.

Special Protection is not for the Royals or Politicians to do social visits though. Why should they get a motorcade and outriders to do that? They may well have a close protection officer with them but these are highly trained individuals who are not available at short notice if Harry wants to pop over on a whim. That would require one or more of them to be hanging around ready to be called up at short notice. That would be impracticable, not to mention extremely expensive. And he is perfectly at liberty to bring his own security with him. I’m not sure it would be views at all positively if special protection was made available for Harry to go on a jolly

edited typo

He "doesn't have to do that" though. He can stay home, or he can come and bring a burly bodyguard or two.

You can't have trained officers sitting around at the ready for when he makes a social or business plan that involves the UK.

Also, I'm not keen on picking up a big bill each time he decides to drop in on his mates or do a photo op so I'd rather he stayed home.

Interesting piece about Samantha Cohen, though "“I was only supposed to stay for six months but stayed for 18" is too often allowed to overshadow the fact she'd already worked for the RF for nearly 18 years and could therefore be expected to take a lot in her stride

Like Mylovelygreendress I wonder if this is the start of something more

If he is really just about security so he can pop in for a boys weekend without having to give 28 days notice, would he have really spent an estimated 1 million pounds and still counting for that. Its why it’s all feels dishonest, the implying that they couldn’t visit the Queen, or the relevance of a car chase in New York. I know some of his supporters are up in arms at the uk bidding of Invictus but maybe the reality is they cannot afford or want to afford their own security at a high profiled event. There is still a hangover from Germany and the rumours of who paid, they partly funded the pre Canada event with a film crew the same for the Polo.

I agree with this is some ways. I have to give 6 weeks notice for annual leave. Yes, it's irritating but it's what my contract says. I would imagine it does chaff when you are super loaded and don't have a regular job.

That said, Harry can still come to this country and use his own self paid security at will. He just won't get his 'bespoke package'.

He seems quite happy to visit other countries for leisure purposes though. Presumably without any form of official security.

Police protection organised by RAVEC is not intended to cover private citizens popping over for a lads' weekend. It is for individuals whose role is important to the nation, or who are visiting the country in an official capacity. Harry has no official role, so if he prefers not to cooperate with the authorities as regards security arrangements, he's free not to visit. It makes no odds to the British people.

The problem with Harry is he thinks that just because HE misrepresents to Meghan what being a Royal would be like, that everyone else has to jump and acquiesce that misrepresentation.

Indeed. If you look at the situation logically it boils down to the fact that he is having a massive hissy fit over having security removed in this country. Logically again, if he was in as much danger as he sometimes claims to be, he would not be leaving his house at all. No polo matches, film premieres in the Caribbean or advance publicity trips to Canada for Invictus. It stretches credulity somewhat that he cannot visit the UK because he is unsafe. Especially when it is abundantly clear that he would get full security if there was a current and credible threat and that there will automatically be security if he is visiting his family

the implying that they couldn’t visit the Queen....

If visiting the Queen, they'd have been covered by the Queen's security. But even she went around at Balmoral with minimal protection. There are stories of tourists meeting and talking to her not realising who she was, because she wasn't surrounded by a posse of bodyguards..

He only needs to do this if he wants security provided through RAVEC. He could come and go at whim with his own security.

edited to add cross posted with JADS!

I read his submission to the Judicial Review.

It's all about the guns.