Prince Harry's failed legal challenge over police protection has cost taxpayers £656,324, with the Duke of Sussex facing a potential bill of up to £1.5 million when his own legal fees are included.
New Freedom of Information figures reveal the Home Office's spending on the case, which Harry "comprehensively lost" at the High Court last year before his subsequent appeal was dismissed last month.
As the losing party, the Duke is expected to reimburse most or all of the government's costs, following a previous ruling that he should repay 90 per cent of public expenses.
The breakdown of government spending shows £554,000 was incurred during the original High Court case a year ago.
An additional £102,000 was spent on the recent appeal proceedings.
Prince Harry's failed legal challenge over police protection has cost taxpayers £656,324, with the Duke of Sussex facing a potential bill of up to £1.5 million when his own legal fees are included.
Reuters
The legal fees included more than £241,000 on barristers and £394,000 on solicitors from the Government Legal Department, plus £3,800 in court fees.
The Home Office warned that the £656,324 figure could increase further.
They stated that "further costs may be included at a later date, for example costs relating to the period prior to May 2 that have not yet been captured".
Harry's own legal costs remain undisclosed but are thought to be comparable to the government's expenses.
As the losing party, the Duke is expected to reimburse most or all of the government's costs, following a previous ruling that he should repay 90 per cent of public expenses.
Reuters
The Duke of Sussex had travelled from California specifically to attend the two-day hearing in April.
He sat in court as his barrister argued that removing his automatic Metropolitan Police armed bodyguards had put his life "at stake".
The Duke's KC maintained that threats against him had not diminished despite his departure from frontline royal duties, with his military service placing him at particular risk.
Following the appeal's dismissal, Harry told the BBC that "I wish someone had told me beforehand" there was "no way to win".
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
The Duke's KC maintained that threats against him had not diminished despite his departure from frontline royal duties, with his military service placing him at particular risk.
Reuters
He described this particular legal battle as the one that "mattered the most" among his various court cases.
The Court of Appeal's ruling in May proved particularly damning, with Master of the Rolls Sir Geoffrey Vos acknowledging that whilst Harry's arguments were "powerful and moving" and it was "plain the Duke of Sussex felt badly treated by the system", this "sense of grievance" did not "translate into a legal argument".
Sir Geoffrey, sitting alongside two other judges, determined that the original security decision had been a "predictable" and "sensible" reaction to Megxit.
The ruling represented a significant blow to Harry's efforts to retain automatic police protection during UK visits following his departure from senior royal duties and relocation abroad.
Most Read
