The Duke of Sussex has formally requested a re-evaluation of his security arrangements for visits to the UK, following reports that a “known stalker” came “within feet” of Prince Harry on two separate occasions during his last visit to the UK.
A source close to the duke confirmed Prince Harry wrote to home secretary Shabana Mahmood shortly after her appointment and submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which operates under the Home Office.
According to The Telegraph, the “known stalker” breached a “secure zone” at a central London hotel where the duke attended the WellChild Awards on 9 September.
She was subsequently spotted near him two days later at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies in west London and is said to have come “within feet” of the Duke of Sussex.
The duke’s appeal against the dismissal of his High Court claim concerning the level of taxpayer-funded protection he receives in the country was rejected in May.
The source clarified that the letter to Ms Mahmood was dispatched prior to these two security incidents occurring in September.
After losing the Court of Appeal challenge, the duke said in a TV interview he “can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK”.
The 41-year-old told the BBC he would ask then home secretary Yvette Cooper to “look at this very, very carefully”, and warned that the royal family’s power over security means it “can be used to control” family members.
He also said he would ask prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to “step in”.
The legal challenge came after Harry and the Duchess of Sussex left the UK and first moved to Canada, and then California, after announcing they wanted to step back as senior royals.
In a summary of the ruling, judge Sir Geoffrey Vos said Ravec’s decision was “understandable and perhaps predictable”.
The duke said the Court of Appeal decision meant it is now “impossible” for him to bring Meghan and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet back to the UK safely.
A government spokesperson said: “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.”
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