Prince Harry Loses High Court Challenge Over Paying for His Own Security in the U.K.

Prince Harry is facing a royal setback in his quest for protection.

London's High Court has ruled against the Duke of Sussex on May 23 over his attempt to pay for his own security when he's in the U.K.

After he and wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal duties amid their move to America in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lost access to police security that usually accompanies royal members. Now, according to Reuters, the High Court in London has ruled his lawyers could not move forward with a judicial review that would explore whether he could pay for the protective agents himself.

The decision to take away publicly-funded security was made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, also known as RAVEC. And according to the BBC, Judge Martin Chamberlain said in his ruling said that RAVEC was not incorrect in their decision that allowing payment for protection would be against public interest.

E! News has reached out to Harry's reps for comment and have not heard back.

The ruling comes less than one week after Harry, Meghan and her mom Doria Ragland were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" with "highly aggressive paparazzi," per the couple's rep, after attending a gala in NYC on May 16.

After the incident, authorities also addressed the situation, telling E! News in a statement, "There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard."

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