Prince Harry made it to the headlines in recent months after he challenged a Home Office decision to not give him the same degree of police protection when he visits Britain from the U.S. The husband of Meghan Markle expressed his desire to pay for police protection and his family while in the U.K.
In the first hearing of his action against the home secretary, the lawyers of Prince Harry told the High Court he did not feel safe visiting under current arrangements. Despite this, the Duke of Sussex said the U.K. would always be his home, amid his security row.
Now, new reports suggested the primary reason why Prince Harry is not in the U.K. to grace the memorial service for the late Prince Philip today. Keep on reading to know more details.
Why Prince Harry Didn't Attend Prince Philip's Memorial Service?
Prince Harry announced, earlier this month, that he is not returning to the U.K. anytime soon due to his concerns over his security. The brother of Prince William and his wife, Meghan Markle, lost their taxpayer-funded police protection after his decision to step back from royal duties in 2020.
The British government has refused his request to be given police protection during any visits to the U.K. even if he offered to foot the bill. A legal representative of Prince Harry previously insisted private security would not be sufficient.
In a statement, the representative of Prince Harry said:
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family [in the US], yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.”
Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie confirmed, earlier this month, the continued failed attempts of Prince Harry to secure police protection meant he would not be able to make it in time for the service of thanksgiving to the late Prince Philip. In a post on Twitter, Omid wrote:
“A spokesperson for the Sussexes confirms that Prince Harry will not be returning to the UK for the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip on March 29. He does, however, hope to visit the Queen as soon as possible."
An Express U.K. poll revealed most Britons think it was right for Prince Harry to be denied police protection. The majority of the respondents (54%) argued neither the British government nor the Duke of Sussex should pay for him to receive protection from the police.
As a result, Prince Harry is already pursuing legal action against the Home Office over his protection. The High Court, last week, ruled that parts of the suit would be kept private.
A representative of the British government claimed that the private funding offer of Prince Harry was "irrelevant" and “personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately-financed basis." Other reports suggested that Prince Harry would be present at the upcoming Invictus Games, which would be held in Holland in April.
Prince Harry's Absence At Prince Philip's Memorial Service Sparks Rumors
Meanwhile, the absence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the memorial service of Prince Philip, reportedly, became the source of gossip among guests at the Westminster Abbey. Richard Griffin, during an appearance on Sky News stated that the nonappearance of the Sussex pair at the said event was a "big disappointment for everybody."
The former protection officer of Prince Harry's late grandfather said:
"Certainly around where I was, they thought he (Harry) should have been here. All this nonsense about he couldn't get protection, as far as I'm concerned that was a pathetic excuse, he should have been here to honour his grandfather. At the end of the day, if he was that worried about security he could have stuck with his brother and father who have got wonderful security. He would have been more than safe.”
Richard Griffin went on to say that:
“William had a great training from Prince Philip and is going to learn all his examples for him. Fingers crossed; I just hope Harry gets some of these things into his mind.”
After being a no-show at Prince Philip's memorial service, it remains unclear whether Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Archie, and Lilibet would be able to fly off to Britain in June to participate in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth.
Stay tuned to EpicStream for the latest news and updates about Prince Harry!
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