Prince Harry is reportedly feeling “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome of his ongoing case against the UK Home Office, which could see his children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, visit the UK once more. The case against the Home Office began when Harry’s taxpayer-funded security rights were changed in 2020 when the Duke of Sussex announced he was to step back from life as a working royal and move overseas to the US.
Harry, 40, argued that by the Home Office removing his automatic security in the UK, it was unsafe to return to his home country with his wife Meghan Markle, 43, and their two children. This resulted in the duke appealing the decision, with this appeal hearing having been heard in court earlier this month.
In the hearing, Harry’s lawyer said: “One must not forget the human dimension of this case. There is a person who is sitting behind me whose safety, whose security and whose life is at stake.”
While the outcome of the case has not yet been decided or revealed, Harry has said on multiple occasions that he will not be bringing his family to the UK until he feels it is safe to do so.
Although the prince has visited his home country on numerous occasions since quitting royal life five years ago, his wife and their two children have rarely stepped foot in the UK, with their last visit being in 2022.
The Duke of Sussex spoke about his safety concerns for his family during a previous interview for ITV’s documentary Tabloids on Trial last year.
Speaking in the documentary, the prince said: “It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read. And whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
When Harry visits the UK, Meghan often stays behind at the family’s Montecito mansion in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The royal children are growing up in the US and live relatively private lives, something Harry said he is grateful for.
At The New York Times DealBook Online Summit last year, Harry said: “I very much enjoy living here (America) and bringing my kids up here. It’s a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live.
“I feel as though it’s the life that my mum wanted for me. To be able to do the things I’m able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the UK — it’s huge. That is a fantastic opportunity and I’m hugely grateful for that.”
A source close to Harry’s legal team told People Magazine they were “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome of Harry’s court appeal regarding his UK security.
