Prince Harry has sought to challenge the British government’s denial of his request to pay for his own police protection in the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been living in California since last year after stepping back from their senior roles in the Royal Family.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Harry’s lawyers said he had asked the Metropolitan Police for a “bespoke” security package that would be funded privately.
The statement said that the request had been “unanimously” denied by the Home Office, the government department responsible for security and law enforcement in the UK.
The statement said that Harry was “deeply disappointed” by the decision and that the refusal “raises questions about whether the Home Office has a conflict of interest, given the Royal Family’s status as a public body and its relationship with the police”.
The statement added that Harry “remains grateful to the police for their ongoing efforts to keep him and his family safe”.
It is understood that Harry has been receiving some police protection since he moved to the US.