On Tuesday, a judge ruled against Harry's pursuit of a second case against the U.K. Home Office, which questioned their position that Metropolitan Police protection cannot be acquired through payment.
Harry, who holds the fifth position in the line of succession to the throne, has been contesting a government decision made in 2020 that revoked automatic police protection for his family while they are in Britain.
This decision followed Harry and his wife Meghan, also known as the Duchess of Sussex, stepping down from their roles as senior working royals.
The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, commonly referred to as RAVEC, decided at the time that security arrangements for the Sussexes would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan declined to provide any comment regarding the court ruling. Harry, now residing in California with Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet, has expressed his desire to have police protection for his family while on British soil and has even offered to cover the associated costs. However, the Home Office rejected this request.
The judge's ruling on Tuesday has determined that Harry cannot pursue a challenge against the aforementioned decision. Nonetheless, Harry remains involved in an ongoing separate case with the Home Office to establish whether he should still be entitled to Metropolitan Police security while in the U.K. Since relocating in 2020, Harry has only made a few visits to the U.K.
The recent court ruling in the United Kingdom comes shortly after Harry and Meghan alleged that they were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" in Manhattan, where Meghan received an award, while being pursued by paparazzi.
The couple's spokesperson accused the paparazzi of engaging in highly aggressive behavior, including driving on the sidewalk and running red lights, during an incessant two-hour pursuit. The incident reportedly occurred on May 16 as Harry and Meghan, accompanied by Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, were returning from the Ms. Foundation's annual gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
However, police sources have contradicted the spokesperson's claims, stating that the episode did not involve the number of paparazzi described.
According to these sources, two New York Police Department detectives were present at the Ziegfeld Ballroom when Harry and Meghan left the venue and drove alongside their private vehicle to ensure their safe journey home.
Police sources further explained that security cameras captured images of photographers on bicycles, but there was no evidence of the reported caravan mentioned by sources close to Harry and Meghan.
The police sources acknowledged that the incident may have been distressing for those involved. Since their move to California, the Sussexes have relied on privately funded security personnel. Their current security situation is reminiscent of that of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, who had to rely on private security after her divorce from Harry's father, King Charles III, in 1996.
One year later, in 1997, Diana tragically passed away in a car accident in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi. "When Diana died, she didn't have police protection.
She had a private security team at that point," commented Victoria Murphy, an ABC News royal contributor, last year. "And I think it's very clear that Prince Harry feels that police protection is superior and that is what he wants for his family."
