Prince Harry given 10% discount on legal fees after Home Office made error in proceedings

Prince Harry infamously stepped down as a working royal in 2020, along with his wife Meghan Markle. The couple have since relocated to Montecito in California, and are raising their children there, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Since their departure, the couple have carried out a fair number of projects that paint the Royal Family in a very bad light - including Prince Harry’s explosive memoir Spare.

However, the Duke of Sussex still holds links with the UK. Not only is his family here, but he also comes back for events that are important to him. Although he can, of course, attend events virtually, there is an upcoming date in the calendar that is particularly important to him. This is the anniversary of the Invictus Games, which is set for 8 May. However, Prince Harry has been involved in a court case after his level of security in the UK was reduced. As he wanted to come back to the UK and be safe, he argued this change was unfair. A court ruled against this suggestion, but Prince Harry has received a small win: he is to get a 10% discount on his legal fees. Here’s what you need to know.

Prince Harry’s court case

The Duke of Sussex took legal action against the Home Office following its 2020 change to the level of protection he would receive in the UK. The decision was made in February, one month after Prince Harry and Meghan officially called it quits on the working royals front.

In February 2024, Prince Harry lost his case. High Court judge Sir Peter Lane's finding ruled that ‘there has not been any unlawfulness in reaching the decision’ and ‘any departure from the policy was justified’. He added: ‘The decision was not irrational. The decision was not marred by procedural unfairness.’ Prince Harry has therefore been refused permission to appeal.

Why is Prince Harry getting a 10% discount?

In documents seen by The Times, it has come to light that the Home Office made a mistake in these legal proceedings. Prince Harry has therefore been given a compensatory 10% discount on his legal fees. Let’s look into exactly what happened.

According to the publication, the Home Office was ‘penalised’ for delaying certain information. This information pertained to the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), and how it works. Ravec, as explained on GOV.UK, is an ‘executive authority for national policy for protection of royalty and VIPs’. It appears the Home Office failed to mention three categories of people whose protection is covered by Ravec when it should have legally done so.

Prince Harry’s team dubbed this information ‘crucial’ and initially asked for ‘a reduction of 50-60 percent because of the way in which the documents and information were disclosed’. Sir Lane agreed that a mistake had been made, but said that the breach of regulation was, ‘in all the circumstances, sanctionable’.

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Express: Prince Harry receives 10% discount on legal fees as Home Office punished for rule breach

GOV.UK