Prince Harry wins government review into demand for armed police when he visits the UK

A U-turn in the prince’s long-running legal war over security has fuelled hopes of a reunion between the King and his US-based grandkids.

Prince Harry has won a Home Office review of the decision to strip him of 24-hour armed police protection on visits to the UK.

The U-turn could pave the way for a reunion between the King and his grandkids, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, who live in the US.

Charles last saw them in June 2022 during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations but Harry has since said it is not safe for them to visit Britain.

The Duke of Sussex blamed an “establishment stitch-up” after losing a High Court fight this year to reinstate his taxpayer-funded privilege.

But according to The Sun, the UK’s Home Office has now ordered a threat assessment for the first time since Harry stepped down as a working royal in 2020.

Harry, who served in Afghanistan, was previously said to face the most serious risk, alongside only the late Queen and the PM.

But it is claimed his rating had fallen during an assessment in February 2020, meaning his automatic right to armed protection was removed.

Harry – seenhere during his appeal hearing about his personal security in the UK earlier this year – has won a government review. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP

‘Establishment stitch-up’

He then left for the US, where his annual security bill is estimated to run into millions.

The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) has now instructed its Risk Management Board to reassess his threat level for the first time in nearly six years.

It is understood the process is already under way, with evidence taken from police, government and Harry’s team.

A decision is expected next month from the government body, which is overseen by the Home Office.

If it rules he requires armed protection then taxpayers would pay for it whenever he is in the UK.

Harry currently has to contact the Met Police 30 days before arriving in the UK for a security review on a case-by-case basis.

Sources have argued that is more expensive than a few salaried armed officers on the rare occasions he does return.

His wife, Meghan, and their two children have not been to the UK since the late Queen’s death in 2022. Picture: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images/AFP

In May, the Home Office said it was “pleased” with the High Court decision not to reinstate his automatic protection.

However the California-based duke claimed he did not feel safe enough to bring his family here.

In a blistering 30-minute interview, Harry slammed the decision as a “good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up”.

He said: “The other side have won in keeping me unsafe. I can’t see a world in which I will be bringing my wife and children back at this point.”

Harry has since returned alone, including in September where he attended charity events and met his dad for the first time in 19 months.

He also wrote to newly installed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood asking for a risk reassessment.

A government spokesman said last night: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.

“It is our longstanding policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”

A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex declined to comment.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Prince Harry wins government review into demand for armed police when he visits the UK