Prince Harry loses High Court challenge as Meghan Markle labelled ‘rude’, ‘unkind’

The Duke of Sussex has lost his High Court challenge over taxpayer-funded personal security, as a royal expert dubbed Meghan Markle ‘rude and’ ‘unkind’.

Prince Harry will not be allowed to appeal the downgrading of his personal security when he visits Britain, a court has ruled.

The Duke of Sussex took legal action after the British government told him in 2020 that he would no longer be given the “same degree” of taxpayer-funded protection when he visits the UK.

The High Court ruled in February that the UK government had acted lawfully.

High Court judge Peter Lane said in a 52-page judgement that the “bespoke process” devised for him by a committee which is under the remit of the interior ministry “was, and is, legally sound”.

A legal spokesman for Harry said at the time that he would try to turn to the Court of Appeal “to obtain justice”.

A judicial spokesperson, however, said that Harry had lost his initial bid to appeal against the decision.

Harry told a hearing at London’s High Court in December that security concerns were preventing visits back to Britain.

The Duke of Sussex leaves the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on March 28, 2023. Picture: AFP

“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children,” he said in a written statement read out by his lawyers.

“That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe.

“I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”

He was referring to his mother Princess Diana, who was famously killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997 as she fled paparazzi photographers.

However, lawyers for the government rejected claims that he was “singled out” and treated “less favourably” or that a proper risk analysis was not carried out.

In May last year, a judge also sided with the government over its refusal to let him pay for specialist British police protection himself.

The interior ministry argued then that it was “not appropriate” for wealthy people to “buy” protective security when it had decided that it was not in the public interest for such taxpayer-funded protection.

The legal action over his personal security is one of various lawsuits Harry has pursued in recent years in Britain, primarily concerned with alleged phone hacking by newspapers.

Earlier this month, he settled a long-running legal claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II (accompanied by Samantha Cohen) in June 2018 in Widnes, England. Picture: Getty Images

MEGHAN ‘INTERFERED’ WHEN LATE QUEEN WAS ILL

Meghan Markle allegedly “interfered” when the late Queen Elizabeth was ill – and she will do it again to Princess Catherine, a royal expert has claimed exclusively to The Sun.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex put on a loved-up display in front of Netflix cameras at a polo match in Palm Beach, Miami on Friday where Harry won his friendly tournament, but several royal experts have claimed Meghan is the one in charge.

They believe the Duchess, 42, has the final say on whether Harry will reunite with his estranged brother Prince William.

Royal biographer Angela Levin told The Sun: “Meghan has pulled the strings of Harry ever since they met.

“The thing is she has said several times that she can’t stand the royal family, she can’t stand the UK, she’s been unbelievably unkind and rude.”

Levin said Harry has become a “laughing stock” in the States, and been dragged “down the ditch” with Meghan.

“She said she doesn’t want to interfere while Catherine and the King are not well, but she’s interfered when the Duke of Edinburgh wasn’t well, when the Queen wasn’t well, so I don’t believe that.”

“When she went to the royal family, she was immediately trying to tell them what to do, how to run it, how to make it more up to date.

“But she gave no time for her to really understand it.”

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at SXSW 2024. She has two new Netflix shows in the works. Picture: AFP

NEW NETFLIX SHOWS

Levin also discussed Meghan’s chances of success with her new Netflix series, asking: “Are there many people who want to be like Meghan? That’s a very good question.”

The first Netflix series will focus on Meghan and explore “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship”, according to Deadline.

The second series will follow the couple’s love of professional polo.

Primarily shot at the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, the project will be produced by Boardwalk Pictures.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward believes the Duchess of Sussex will stay happy as long as “she’s in control”.

One royal expert branded the move “desperate” and said they felt “sceptical” because the duchess is “known for losing friends rather than gaining friends”.

The show is being produced by Sony Pictures Television’s The Intellectual Property Corporation.

Meghan will executive produce alongside Archewell’s head of nonfiction Chanel Pysnik.

Harry and Meghan are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £78 million contract for their first Netflix documentary, according to The Sun.

The pair were mocked by comedian Jo Koy at the Golden Globes for “being paid millions by Netflix for doing nothing”.

Harry’s series, Heart of Invictus, shedding light on the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors underwhelmed in the ratings.

Originally published as Prince Harry loses High Court challenge as Meghan Markle labelled ‘rude’, ‘unkind’