Senior Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski has criticised Prince Harry for costing UK taxpayers over £500,000 in his High Court case against the Home Office.
The MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham said Harry and his wife Meghan Markle had “abandoned our nation” when they stepped down as working royals in 2020, later moving to California.
In February 2020 the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) ruled that they would not offer Harry security while in the UK as his status as a non-working royal made him exempt, a decision Harry tried to overturn but failed to do so this year.
A Freedom of Information request found that the Duke of Sussex spent £180,000 of taxpayer cash on barristers, £230,000 on Government Legal Department costs, £2,300 in court costs and almost £10,000 on an e-disclosure.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Kawczynski said: “I believe we should review whether taxpayers’ money from hard-working families should be afforded for them [Harry and Meghan] which it still continues to be.”
The Duke has spoken out against what he believes is an “unlawful” decision and claims his family are still vulnerable to attack when in the UK.
Since moving to the US Harry has only brought his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet over to the UK once, while Meghan has only been back a handful of times.
Retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane delivered his verdict in February, with the court finding that there was no unlawfulness in the decision reached to strip Harry of his taxpayer-funded security.
A statement made by Harry’s spokesperson said: “The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec’s own written policy.
“In February 2020, Ravec failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis. The Duke’s case is that the so-called ‘bespoke process’ that applies to him, is no substitute for that risk analysis.
“The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.”
Home Office lawyers said in response that Harry was no longer a member of the group of people whose “security position” was under regular review by Ravec, but he was “brought back within the cohort in the appropriate circumstances”.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said: “We are pleased that the Court has found in favour of the Government’s position in this case, and we are carefully considering our next steps. It would be inappropriate to comment further.
“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.”
