Prince Harry challenges decision to strip him of security in Britain

Prince Harry challenges decision to strip him of security in Britain

Prince Harry through his lawyer on Tuesday challenged the U.K. government’s decision to strip him of his security detail after he gave up his status as a working member of the royal family and moved to the United States.

The Duke of Sussex has claimed that his safety is jeopardized in part because of hostility toward him and his family on social media and a relentless media that hound him.

Attorney Shaheed Fatima said the group that evaluated Harry’s security needs — known by the acronym of its former name, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, or RAVEC — acted irrationally and treated him unfairly by failing to follow its own policies that required applying a risk analysis about the duke’s safety.

“RAVEC should have considered the ‘impact’ that a successful attack on the claimant would have, bearing in mind his status, background and profile within the royal family — which he was born into and which he will have for the rest of his life,” Fatima said. “RAVEC should have considered, in particular, the impact on the U.K.’s reputation of a successful attack on the claimant.”

The three-day hearing in London’s High Court is the latest in a string of Harry’s legal cases that have kept London judges busy as he takes on the U.K. government and the British tabloid media.

Harry wasn’t in court as attorneys presented opening remarks at a hearing set to be held largely behind closed doors to discuss sensitive security matters. The judge is expected to rule at a later date.