The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could now not visit Britain for Prince Philip‘s service of thanksgiving in the coming months
if their legal battle over his family’s security in the UK remains unresolved,
it has been claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been expected to attend the
memorial event at Westminster Abbey which was announced by the Queen on December 23 and is due to take place on an
unconfirmed date this spring.
It was hoped that Harry and Meghan, who now live in California, would
finally introduce their seven-month-old daughter Lilibet to the Royal Family,
who would also have a rare opportunity to see their two-year-old son Archie.
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| The Queen and Prince Philip are pictured in June 2014. The Duke of Edinburgh died in Windsor on April 9 last year aged 99 |
But the dispute with the UK Government could now scupper these plans,
with Harry threatening a judicial review of a Home Office decision not to allow
him to pay for police protection for him and his family while in Britain.
A royal source said: “If Harry goes, he will want to have security for
him and his family. If and when he decides to go back to the UK, he needs
security.”
A judicial review challenges the lawfulness of a public body’s decision
and must first pass a ‘threshold test’. Now Harry has filed his claims, the
Home Office must file a document on why they will be resisting it. The High
Court will then consider whether there is a case for judicial review – and a
proper hearing will take place if granted.
The bill for the process will almost certainly run into the tens of
thousands of pounds, with each party in a case at a one-day substantive hearing
likely to face legal costs of at least £25,000 to £40,000 and possibly even
more. The Home Office has previously given the cost on the Government of
a substantive hearing as up to £100,000.
Meghan has not returned to Britain since the couple officially stepped
down as senior royals in March 2020 – and did not accompany Harry to his late
grandfather’s funeral last April because she was heavily pregnant at the time.
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| The memorial service will take place at Westminster Abbey in London in spring this year on a date which is to be confirmed |
They have not yet said whether they will be among the congregation at
the service, which will feature family, friends, dignitaries and representatives
of many charities and organizations with which Philip was associated.
But it was widely believed that they would attend and have the chance to
reconnect with senior royals including Harry’s grandmother the Queen, father
Prince Charles, brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate Middleton.
Harry does not carry out any engagements since officially quitting the
royal family almost two years ago, but has demanded the Metropolitan Police
provide him security on the occasions he and his family return home.
