In early May, a UK court rejected Prince Harry’s efforts to gain any kind of police protection for himself and his family within the UK. The Sussexes’ security was yanked in early 2020, partially as punishment for exiting the UK and partially as punishment for Harry’s lawsuits against the British press. The withdrawal of the Sussexes’ security was never about the actual threat-level or danger they faced in the UK. Which is bonkers to say out loud – a national security apparatus has no interest in protecting individuals under extreme risk, simply because the childishly deranged Windsors are mad that they can’t control a young family. Harry correctly called this an “Establishment stitch-up,” and security experts in the UK agree. Well, when Harry was in the UK last month, a stalker came within a few feet of Harry at two of his events. Harry had no police protection for the majority of his time during the visit. So once again, Harry is requesting that Ravec order a risk-assessment:
The Duke of Sussex has revived his security battle with the Home Office by writing to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, about his case. A formal request has been lodged by the prince with the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) which is overseen by the Home Office, asking for a risk-assessment process to be conducted.
Sources close to the process confirm that Harry has written to Mahmood, having previously been in correspondence with her predecessor, Yvette Cooper. A source close to the duke said that while he recognises his case will not be top of Mahmood’s priority list, he has asked for Ravec to “abide by its own rules” — that a risk management board (RMB) should be conducted for each member of the royal family and other qualifying VIPs every year.
“I can confirm that the duke has written to the new Home Secretary asking for a risk management board to be conducted,” the source said. “While he realises this will not be top of the incoming secretary’s in-tray it is something which should have happened a long time ago. We have had the can kicked down the road for quite a while now but all he’s asking is for Ravec to abide by its own rules which state that an RMB should be conducted each year. The last one for the duke was in 2019.”
Harry used his Ravec legal actions to understand how Ravec functions, to learn who sits on the committee and how they make their decisions. He’s pointing out that Ravec has failed to adhere to their own charter, their own regulations and rules. He’s once again appealing to a government official to break from the Establishment stitch-up and simply do a risk assessment. As you can imagine, this formal request has gone over poorly within the Establishment. Within 24 hours, King Charles and his courtiers (some of whom sit on Ravec) went to Roya Nikkhah at the Times with this:
The Duke of Sussex’s renewal of his battle with the government over security risks derailing his reconciliation with the King. Sources close to the monarch said Prince Harry’s decision to lobby Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, asking for his taxpayer-funded security in the UK to be reviewed “complicates things for the King”.
Harry currently receives “bespoke” protection on a case-by-case basis when he visits the UK after he lost his right to automatic round-the-clock security when he stepped back from royal life and moved to America in 2020. His letter to Mahmood, which was revealed on Friday, will once again make the King wary of contact with his younger son.
“It’s not going to help matters,” said a royal source. “We’re back to where we were.”
In September, the King, 76, and the duke, 41, met for the first time in 19 months, over a private 50-minute tea at Clarence House, following Harry’s pleas for “reconciliation” with his family after losing his legal battle with the government in May.
A royal source said: “The King cannot and will not lobby, that’s inappropriate. His representatives cannot advocate for policy outcomes, particularly in relation to his own family. The royal household representative on the Royal and VIP executive committee [Ravec], overseen by the Home Office, is not there to advocate a position for a member of the royal family. They are purely there as a liaison to the household.”
The source added: “If you put yourself in the mind of a father who is repeatedly told he should and could intervene, that is not very helpful, complicates matters and shows a lack of understanding about the reality of the situation.”
But sources close to the duke have repeatedly said he feels his father should intervene in the process. In an interview after the Court of Appeal ruling against him in May, the duke described the judgment as “a good old-fashioned establishment stitch up”, and told the BBC: “I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.”
Harry is only asking for a risk assessment, and this is the reaction. Mind-boggling. He’s only asking for Ravec to adhere to their own rules and the palace immediately rushes to threaten Harry with what amounts to “if you continue pursuing this, we won’t let you see your father again!” Besides which, Harry is correct! About all of it! Charles could intervene, and Charles’s courtiers could intervene and ensure the Sussexes’ security for a visit. Just like they intervened to withdraw the protection!!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
