While residing in the UK, Prince Harry intends to use the New York paparazzi car chase as compelling evidence to bolster his legal claim against the Home Office over personal safety.
A close associate of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex says the harrowing car chase incident, orchestrated by aggressive paparazzi, serves as proof that they should be allowed to privately fund their own police protection during visits to the United Kingdom.
According to the source, Prince Harry is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with the Home Office after his applications to hire Metropolitan Police close protection officers were rejected by the government.
The friend further points out that this situation highlights the fact that Harry and Meghan occupy a distinct position compared to other celebrity couples and attract much more public attention.
The British government’s ban on their ability to procure expert police protection in private is seen as an absurd situation, one that Harry is confident he can overturn in court.
However, a senior Home Office source countered by expressing confidence that the New York incident would not impact their case. The source pointed out that the incident took place in New York, not London, stressing that the Duke and Duchess would not encounter car chases by paparazzi in the UK.
The source added: ‘We can reasonably assume that any comparison between media practices in the US and the UK will not influence the position of the Home Office. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed they were involved in a near-catastrophic car chase lasting more than two hours, orchestrated by an aggressive network of paparazzi.
Experts believe that this staging was intended to influence the opinion of the court, because the situation was not favorable to the couple. It is suspected that their intention is to gain a level of invincibility akin to that of the monarchy, including enjoying protection and covering all associated expenses. It is assumed that such circumstances would render their current efforts redundant.
However, their plans run into several obstacles. Firstly, the British press is already subject to significant regulations, which makes it highly unlikely that a scenario similar to that in New York will occur in the United Kingdom. Although some unscrupulous media may engage in such practices, the use of such images would violate the editorial code under regulations imposed by the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO).
Second, Harry’s legal action is specifically about his safety in the UK, not the US. He is suing for two main issues: a review of the decision-making process that led to the restriction of his security blanket, which was authorized, and the government’s refusal to allow him to employ armed police, a case currently before the courts. .
Moreover, by being present in the United Kingdom, Prince Harry already enjoys protection against paparazzi surveillance. The irony is that the US media is less regulated than their UK counterparts when it comes to protecting Harry’s privacy.
Prince Harry aims to use New York paparazzi car chase as compelling evidence in his legal battle against the Home Office, saying it justifies the need for private funding of police protection during visits UK. However, the Home Office remains confident that the occurrence of the incident in New York, coupled with existing regulations governing UK media, will not influence its position.
The case continues to unfold as Harry seeks to challenge the government’s decision on security cover and the hiring of armed police through legal proceedings.
