Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images) LONDON (AP) - A London judge rejected Prince Harry's bid to pay for his own police protection Tuesday, denying the royal's request to challenge the U.K.
government in court.The British government stopped providing security after Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle, quit their royal duties and moved to California in 2020.
It then rejected his offer to pay for protection when he visits home.A lawyer for the government argued in court that it was not appropriate to allow hiring "police officers as private bodyguards for the wealthy."RELATED: NYC officials downplay Prince Harry, Meghan's ‘near catastrophic’ chaseJustice Martin Chamberlain said there was nothing "incoherent or illogical" in the government’s reasoning to deny the Duke of Sussex’s request to hire police bodyguards at his own expense.
He said providing private protection for an individual was different from paying police as security at sporting and other events.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi photographers, the couple's spokesperson claims.