The internet is calling out the double standard of the British government regarding the taxpayer-funded police protection of Prince Andrew and Prince Harry‘s rejected attempt at personally paying for one for himself, his wife Meghan Markle and their children.
According to Harry’s legal representative, the royal applied for a judicial review of the British government’s decision to not allow him to pay for police protection for himself and his family when they were in his home country.
In a statement on Sunday, Harry’s legal rep confirmed that he had several negotiations with the British government’s Home Office department.
The lawyer clarified that he and Megan paid for their own private security after the British government prevented them from receiving the same police protection as other royals. The two parties were in negotiations in January 2020.
In July 2021, he visited London to unveil a statue in honour of his late mother Princess Diana. His security was compromised during that visit when his vehicle was followed by the paparazzi as he was leaving a charity function.
In September 2021, Harry attempted to negotiate with the government regarding the decision and was rejected again. Now according to the statement, he has applied for a judicial review.
I KNOW people in the UK don’t like to actually read when it comes to Prince Harry & Meghan, so here is his full statement which explains that he has offered to pay for his own security since 2020 and has been denied every single time
He doesn’t want your tax payer money pic.twitter.com/vldHfrmoiL
— Myra (@SussexPrincess) January 15, 2022
“Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life,” the representative said.
“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 UK will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in,” the royal’s legal representative added in the statement.
“With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk. Prince Harry hopes that his petition — after close to two years of pleas for security in the UK — will resolve this situation.”
Since the statement, people have called out the double standards of Prince Harry and Prince Andrew.
Andrew has been accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually abusing her when she was a minor and was allegedly involved in Jeffrey Epstein‘s human trafficking crimes but is still offered police protection that is paid for by the British government.
Harry made the decision to leave his duties as a member of the royal family, revealing to Oprah that he was cut off from the family money. So, why is he not allowed to pay for the same protection he would receive if he was still an acting royal? Make it make sense.
“So the government continues to pay for Prince Andrew’s security yet refuses to let Prince Harry pay for his own,” asked one user on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/_laura3lizabeth/status/1482491257364619264
Another claims that the attempts at discrediting Prince Harry lately has been an intentional “distract[ion] from Royal Family [sic] shameful and embarrassing news cycle of Prince Andrew after all these ‘negotiations’ with Home Office happened in 2021. We see you.”
I think ‘certain people’ are trying to throw Prince Harry under the Bus to distract from Royal Family shameful & embarrassing news cycle of Prince Andrew after all these ‘negotiations’ with Home office happened in 2021.
We see you.
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) January 15, 2022
Lets be clear
Prince Harry wants to pay for his own security in U.K.
Home Office won’t let him because they say the threat to him & his family is so great that private security couldn’t do the job
He should be commended for not relying on public money
Unlike others… https://t.co/EYjiBlWxEo— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) January 15, 2022
https://twitter.com/WabziS/status/1482497778811088901
So as I understand, Prince Harry is denied adequate police protection while in the UK by virtue of the fact that he is not a “working royal”…He offers to pay for himself and his family and is also denied that right???
I don’t know HOW that makes sense to anyone with a brain
— Myra (@SussexPrincess) January 15, 2022
“Prince Andrew is in trouble, quick release the Prince Harry story.” The royal family and the uk tabloids are absolutely disgusting. That story ain’t doing what you think it will do, fucking idiots.
— ᗪᗴᔕTIᑎY Oᖴ ᕼOᑌᔕᗴ ᐯᗴᒪᗩᖇYOᑎ 🧜🏽♀️ (@destinyvelaryon) January 15, 2022
Don’t forget how Andrew, still has tax paid funded security protection, even though he is now classed as a “private citizen”
Prince Harry has offered to pay for his security but has been denied.
Let me say this again, don’t be fooled.
Go were you are celebrated not tolerated.— JM 🇵🇸|🐊 (@_anxxaa) January 15, 2022
Y’all trying to get Prince Harry, Meghan & kids killed?
Royal Family cut off security, Brits moan taxes can’t be used for Sussexes & Home Office dismisses Sussexes paying for their security in UK. MAD!How dare you refuse them security at their own expense when they are at risk? https://t.co/uClgu8C7fE
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) January 15, 2022
How long it took Prince Andrew’s HRH, military titles and patronages to be stripped = 789 days
How long it took Prince Harry & Meghan’s patronages, military titles & HRHs to be stripped = 83 days
— MD (@MarkleDuchess) January 13, 2022
Regardless of what is said here, this story reminds me of a quote Harry once gave a reporter about how his mother’s experience as someone married into the British Royal Family shaped the way he approaches being in the public eye as a parent.
“I will always protect my family because now I have a family to protect,” he said.
“I don’t want a repeat of what happened to her.”
“I will always protect my family because now I have a family to protect … I don’t want a repeat of what happened to her” – Prince Harry pic.twitter.com/DYLFtEDrwq
— Bongani “Abhorrent People” (@Bongz_Mazbk) January 15, 2022