Prince Harry has secured a fresh Home Office review of the decision that removed his automatic armed police protection during visits to the United Kingdom. The move marks the first major shift in his long-running battle over security since he stepped back from royal duties in 2020. It also raises the possibility of the Duke of Sussex finally feeling able to bring his children, Archie and Lilibet, back to Britain. King Charles has not seen his grandchildren since the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, and Harry has repeatedly said he could not risk bringing them without guaranteed protection.
The duke has long argued that his security status was altered unfairly. Earlier this year, he lost a High Court challenge to reinstate the taxpayer funded protection he once received as a working royal. At the time, he blamed what he described as an “establishment stitch-up” and insisted the ruling left him unsafe on British soil. Now, for the first time since early 2020, the Home Office has commissioned a full threat assessment to evaluate the level of risk he faces.
What the reassessment means
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee has instructed its Risk Management Board to conduct the evaluation, drawing on information from police, government sources and Harry’s own security advisers. The process is said to be already underway, and a decision is expected next month. If the review concludes that the duke is at sufficient risk, armed protection funded by the public purse could be restored for his time in the country.
Until now, Harry has been required to notify the Metropolitan Police thirty days before traveling to Britain. Each visit triggers a temporary and individually reviewed security plan. Insiders argue this is actually more costly than assigning a small number of permanent officers for the limited occasions he returns. His private security in the United States reportedly costs several million dollars a year, but bodyguards hired by him are not permitted to carry firearms in the UK.
A long and emotional dispute
Harry has maintained that he cannot responsibly bring his family back under the current arrangement. In a recent interview, he said the decision to downgrade his protection “kept me unsafe” and insisted he did not see a scenario in which his wife and children could visit. Despite this, he has made several solo trips to Britain, including a brief visit in September when he attended charity events and saw his father for the first time in nineteen months.
Following the change in government, Harry wrote directly to the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, requesting a reassessment. The Home Office has not commented on the specifics of the review but stated that the United Kingdom’s protective security system remains “rigorous and proportionate” and that disclosing details would undermine the safety of those involved.
The outcome of the new assessment may influence not only Harry’s future visits but also the possibility of a reunion with the King, who has not spent time with Archie and Lilibet in more than two years. Whether the review will lead to restored protection is still unknown, but for the first time in years, the process is formally in motion.
