Prince Harry no longer feels safe in his own home

One could almost call it a fleeting smile that Prince Harry throws the journalist waiting in the courtroom 73. He, who hates the media like no other, is looking for eye contact with them today. He wishes her presence at this hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, there is no doubt about that.

The path to its seat leads directly past the press gallery. Prince Harry – a good dark gray suit, light blue tie, the red hair now lights and grays – takes a seat right in front of the press gallery, on one of the black chairs with a plastic raw, on which almost all of them are in the hall. The chair looks a bit small for the Duke of Sussex, which is larger in person than it works in photos. Grandfather Prince Philips forecast, Harry’s mother Diana will “at least give a little bit into our line”, she fulfilled in the two sons.

It is the second time this year that Prince Harry is trying a trial in his old home. In January he won a trial against his arch enemy Rupert Murdoch and his media group “News Group Newspapers”: Murdoch’s media temporary paid compensation in the millions and published a debt confession of the revolverblate “The Sun” on the telephone hacking scandal.

Harry is here as a plaintiff today. The Duke of Sussex Ficht a decision by the British Ministry of the Interior from 2020. After the withdrawal of the Sussexes from life as a working royals, it would be entitled to a lower degree of protection from taxpayers from the prince and his family.

Harry sees it differently. He did not understand why he, his wife and children in his homeland should not be sure of Great Britain, explained the prince’s lawyers in the run -up to the hearing. “Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth that will accompany him for life: he is still the sixth in the succession of the throne.” In addition, he had fought in Afghanistan and that he and his family have received well -documented neo -Nazi and extremist threats in recent years.

“His role within the institution may have changed, but not his profile as a member of the royal family,” said his lawyers.

It looks a little out of place, the Duke of Sussex, in this sober windowless courtroom with the somewhat tired gray -blue outlets, the desks in the beech veneer, the low ceilings with the neon lamps. His legal representative, the human rights lawyer Shaheed Fatima KC, stands two rows in front of him, and explains the view of her client.

Fatima criticizes the decision of a commission within the Interior Ministry, which only exists for the purpose of ensuring the security of the members of the royal family and selected VIPs. The “Royal and VIP Executive Committee”, Ravec for short, decided to only decide the protection of Prince Harry and his family from case to case – always when the sussexes planned a trip to the kingdom, and depending on the reason for the visit.

A special risk assessment of an independent organization, actually standard for all royals and VIPs to be protected, was replaced by a “tailor -made process” in the case of the sussexes, explains Fatima. This process does not replace the external risk assessment in any way, there is no precedent for the treatment of the prince. Why should he be less at risk than other Royals? In addition, according to Fatima, Ravec has never justified this decision “conclusive, rational and logical”.

Harry nods in agreement. The prince listens carefully, changes words and notes here and there with the lawyer sitting next to him. In front of him on the table there are two heavy files, the content of which will be presented to the judge Lord Justice Bean on the second day of the trial – to the exclusion of the public, because many details on Harry’s security precautions that are used to evidence must be kept secret.

A special problem for Harry is that his private American security team has no access to information from the British secret service that he and his family are dependent on. Incidentally, it is not about money: Harry offers to finance his security when visiting the kingdom, but need the full protection that he used to enjoy as a working member of the royal family.

“The United Kingdom will always be a prince Harry’s home and a country in which his wife and children should be safe,” said Harry’s attorney team in the run -up to the process. The too great personal security risk, which wakes up from the decision of Ravec, is the main reason why he and his family have rarely traveled to the kingdom since 2020.

At least on Tuesday, Harry seemed confident to win this fight with the British establishment.

The process continues on Wednesday.