A judge in the UK has ruled that parts of court documents in Prince Harry’s lawsuit against the British government must be kept secret due to concerns about security.
Prince Harry is attempting to sue the Home Office, which is the British government department that deals with security and law and order within the UK.
The Duke of Sussex has brought a claim against the Home Office after it refused to provide him and his family with police protection should they return to the UK. Harry has stated that he and Meghan are happy to pay for the police protection themselves, but the government has refused to provide them with the officers.
The ruling, made on Thursday (March 24), did not decide on whether or not Harry is entitled to have security provided but instead stressed that some aspects of the case would need to remain private as they could pose a security risk.
Secrecy to be maintained in Prince Harry court case due to security concerns
According to the Daily Express, Mr. Justice Swift stated: “Some of the information relied on concerns security arrangements put in place either for the claimant or for other public figures in the United Kingdom. For obvious reasons information on such matters usually remains confidential.”
The judge added that a level of secrecy would “avoid the risk that putting information into the public domain concerning security arrangements made on past occasions, and the general approach to whether and if so what arrangements should be made, may impair the effectiveness of arrangements in place now.”
Prince Harry has filed this lawsuit because he believes his family would be in danger should they visit the UK. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pay for their own private security detail in the US, but the American bodyguards would lack jurisdiction in the UK and would also lack access to British security intelligence. The Sussexes lost their police protection when they moved across the Atlantic.
The BBC reports that lawyers for the UK Government argue that Harry’s offer to stump up the cash for his own police protection is “irrelevant” because British cops work for the British people and cannot be hired privately by anyone.
Are Harry and Meghan planning a return to England?
The lawsuit brought by the Prince is an indication that Harry and Meghan may hope to return to the UK at some point. The pair have already received criticism over their refusal to attend Prince Philip’s memorial service, which is taking place next week.
The Queen is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year, which means she has spent 70 years as the official head of multiple states, and there will be numerous celebratory events to mark this momentous occasion. It would be very surprising if her wandering grandson did not appear for at least one of these events.
There is also the not significant matter that Her Highness has not yet met her great-granddaughter, Lilibet. Earlier this month, a royal expert claimed that the Queen “desperately” wants to meet Harry and Meghan’s second child.