Splitting with the royal family comes at a cost. A steep one.
Prince Harry might know this better than anyone. When Harry voluntarily gave up his position as a “working royal” in 2020, he parted ways with a monarchy worth $34.3 billion and loads of power.
The kind of power required to hire British police protection. Which Harry was just denied, because in the U.K. you cannot buy police protection, per The Washington Post.
As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, said goodbye to their royal duties, they greeted “a progressive new role within this institution,” in which they would be “financially independent” according to an Instagram post announcing the decision.
Short of power and money, Harry and Meghan were left to their own resources. They made a valiant effort. And a lot of money. But all the lawsuits and money in the world could not get them what they had already given up — royal power.
When Harry and Meghan left the British monarchy, they remained public figures. They are vulnerable to allegedly “near catastrophic car chases,” stalkers, aggressive paparazzi and all the other typical dangers associated with being a celebrity.
While at their home base in California, Harry and Meghan pay out-of-pocket for their own security. After earning a reported $100 million to film their Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan” and another $20 million to Harry for “Spare,” funding security should be affordable.
But Harry does not feel safe visiting Britain with his two young children: Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 1. He wanted security of the caliber he was used to as a royal. Harry hoped he could pay for high-level security from trained British police officers with access to U.K. intelligence, reports The Washington Post.
“Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life,” read a statement from Harry’s legal bid to pay for police protection, per Newsweek.
“He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats.”
“While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.” the statement continued.
On Tuesday, Harry lost his legal challenge to pay for high-level security. It remains a privilege exclusive to senior royals.
“It is wrong for a policing body to place officers in harm’s way upon payment of a fee by a private individual,” read a Metropolitan Police court filing, per Newsweek.
“It would be unjust to allow a wealthy principal (individual receiving protection) to pay for protective security when this would be denied a principal who did not benefit from such resources.”
“To allow an individual to pay for protective security would create a precedent in which other wealthy individuals could argue that they too should be permitted to pay for such services.”