Prince Harry requests UK police protection ahead of relocation

Prince Harry has directly contacted Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to request a formal decision regarding taxpayer-funded police protection for his family. This appeal follows reports that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to relocate permanently to the United Kingdom within weeks, with plans to enroll their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in a British school.

A new risk assessment was reportedly completed in late July by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee’s risk management board. This review was triggered by the family’s shift from residing primarily abroad to a permanent relocation plan, which officials say fundamentally changes the nature of the security assessment.

The security dispute stems from the 2020 removal of Prince Harry’s automatic entitlement to taxpayer-funded protection after he stepped back as a working royal. While the Home Office has declined to comment on individual arrangements, maintaining that its security system is proportional, the potential for renewed state-funded protection remains a subject of significant debate.