Prince Harry has reportedly secured a significant victory in his long-running battle for state-funded security, winning the right to automatic armed police protection whenever he and his family visit the United Kingdom.
From Court Defeat to a Fresh Risk Assessment
The Duke of Sussex's journey to this point has been fraught with legal challenges. In May 2025, he lost a high-profile court case against the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which upheld the decision to withdraw his taxpayer-funded police protection after he stepped back as a working royal.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn in September 2025. Following two alarming security incidents during a visit to London, the 41-year-old prince wrote directly to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood. The catalyst was a stalker, who had previously made online threats, managing to get within a "stone's throw" of Harry during the WellChild Awards ceremony.
Incidents That Changed the Calculus
These security breaches prompted immediate action. Ravec, the committee overseen by the Home Office and comprised of officials from the Metropolitan Police, the royal household, and the Home Office, launched a new risk assessment.
During the WellChild event, Harry had been granted police protection for just one day. Despite this, a female stalker accessed the designated "secure zone." Merely two days later, at Imperial College London, the same individual attempted to approach the Duke and was allegedly stopped only by a member of his private security team.
This fresh evaluation concluded that the King's youngest son does indeed meet the threshold for official protection, overturning the previous stance. A source close to the Sussexes told the Mail on Sunday, "It's now a formality. Sources at the Home Office have indicated that security is now nailed on for Harry."
Paving the Way for Family Reunions
This development marks a major shift. Previously, the Duke was required to notify the Metropolitan Police 30 days in advance of any UK trip to apply for a security review, which was decided on a case-by-case basis. Harry and his lawyers had argued this ad-hoc system was unsafe for his wife, Meghan, and their children, Archie and Lilibet.
Following his court loss in May, a "devastated" Harry had called the ruling a "good old fashioned establishment stitch up" and suggested the Royal Household had influenced the decision. He clarified that he never asked King Charles III to intervene, but rather to "step out of the way and let the experts do their jobs."
With automatic security now reinstated, a significant barrier to UK visits has been removed. This could well pave the way for a reunion between the King and his California-based grandchildren, whom he has not seen since the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in February 2022.
Both the Sussexes' spokesperson and a Home Office spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics. The Home Office reiterated its standard line: "The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security."
