Prince Harry has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood requesting a fresh review of his security arrangements during UK visits. The Duke of Sussex sent the letter shortly after Mahmood's appointment to the role, according to a source close to the duke.
Harry submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is overseen by the Home Office. The request was made prior to concerning incidents during his September visit to the UK.
Security incidents during visit
During Harry's last UK visit in September, a "known stalker" came "within feet" of him on two separate occasions, according to reports in The Telegraph. The woman entered a "secure zone" at a central London hotel where the duke was attending the WellChild Awards on 9th September.
The same individual was spotted two days later near Harry at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies in west London. These incidents highlighted ongoing security concerns surrounding the duke's UK visits.
Legal battle background
The security request follows Harry's failed legal challenge against the Home Office over his protection arrangements. In May, he lost a Court of Appeal challenge over Ravec's decision that he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country.
Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos said Ravec's decision was "understandable and perhaps predictable" in his ruling summary. The legal challenge began after Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior royals and moved first to Canada, then California.
After losing the appeal, Harry told the BBC he "can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK". The 41-year-old said he would ask then-home secretary Yvette Cooper to "look at this very, very carefully".
Harry warned that the royal family's power over security means it "can be used to control" family members. He also said he would ask Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) to "step in" on the matter.
The duke said the Court of Appeal decision meant it is now "impossible" for him to bring Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet back to the UK safely. The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
Sources used: "PA Media", "The Telegraph" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
