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Prince Harry's court struggle to restore full police protection in the UK has resulted in an expensive setback.
The Duke of Sussex "comprehensively lost" the High Court case last year, and his subsequent appeal was rejected in May. As the losing party, he is now required to pay up to 90% of the government's legal bills, which have already reached £656,324 — £554,000 from the original trial and an additional £102,000 from the appeal.
The figures include almost £241,000 for barristers and £394,000 for government solicitors. His personal legal bills have not been revealed, but they are expected to be just as high, perhaps taking the total financial consequences to approximately £1.5 million.
Harry had gone from California to attend the April hearing in person. His legal team contended that depriving him of armed police protection would jeopardize his life, given his high-profile stature and military background.
After the appeal was denied, Harry told the BBC in a shocking interview: "I wish someone had told me beforehand" there was "no way to win." He also stated that the lawsuit "mattered the most" of all his legal struggles.
Sir Geoffrey Vos described Harry's viewpoint as "powerful and moving" in his court opinion, but noted that his "sense of grievance" did not stand up as a legal argument.
