Prince Harry lost his appeal on 2 May 2025 over the decision to change his publicly funded police protection in Great Britain. The Court of Appeal upheld the dismissal of his challenge to how the decision was made; it did not conduct a new security assessment or rule that he faced no risk.
What the Court of Appeal decided
In R (Duke of Sussex) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 548, the Court of Appeal dismissed the Duke of Sussex’s appeal on 2 May 2025. The case concerned the lawfulness of the decision-making behind his publicly funded personal protective security arrangements in Great Britain. The official judgment is the authoritative record of the ruling.
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The appeal’s central issue was whether the High Court judge was right to conclude that RAVEC had good reason, in the circumstances, not to follow its 2017 terms of reference. The Court of Appeal upheld the rejection of Harry’s judicial-review claim. It did not make a fresh operational assessment of his risk or prescribe a particular protection detail. The court’s official case summary directs readers to the full judgment as the only authoritative document.
What decision was challenged?
RAVEC—the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures—communicated its decision in a letter dated 28 February 2020. It followed Harry’s change in royal working status and changed the degree of publicly funded police protection he would receive in Great Britain. The case was about that decision and the process behind it, not whether Harry had any security arrangements at all.
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How the case reached the appeal
- 28 February 2020: RAVEC communicated the decision at issue.
- 28 February 2024: The High Court dismissed Harry’s judicial-review claim.
- 8–9 April 2025: The Court of Appeal heard his appeal.
- 2 May 2025: The Court of Appeal dismissed it.
What the appeal result does—and does not—mean
The outcome means the challenged decision-making survived Harry’s legal challenge. It should not be read as a judicial finding that he faced no risk, that he had no security, or that the Court of Appeal itself selected the level of protection he should receive. The litigation addressed the lawfulness of the decision-making under review, while operational protection is a separate matter.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the later security review?
A Guardian report dated 14 September 2026 said Harry had been granted a security review in July and that no decision had yet been received. The report said RAVEC’s chair had commissioned a new risk assessment, along with a separate assessment for the Duchess of Sussex following their return to the UK. These are reported later developments; they do not alter the Court of Appeal’s 2025 judgment, and the cited reporting does not establish an official outcome to the review.
An Associated Press report dated 7 September 2026 said that the decision on restoring publicly funded police protection rests with RAVEC. It also reported that the royal household described Harry and Meghan as non-working members of the Royal Family. A statement about royal status is not itself an operational decision about protection.
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