U.K. ministers are expected to be frozen out of Prince Harry’s security reassessment for state-funded armed police protection during visits to Britain.
As per The Times, the government ministers will have no say in whether the Duke of Sussex is granted state-funded armed police protection during visits to the UK.
The Home Office’s Ravec committee has begun reassessing his security risk, with a decision expected next month ahead of his planned February visit to testify in his case against Associated Newspapers.
The reassessment came after Prince Harry sent a letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in September requesting an updated review of the threats he had faced in the past.
According to reports, the ruling is said to be entirely in the hands of Ravec’s independent chair, responsible for both the review process and the concluding judgment on restoring the duke’s protection.
The involvement of ministers will not occur at any stage of the evaluation.
The committee authorises protection for senior royals on the Home Office’s behalf, but its chair operates independently of ministers when deciding who qualifies.
Ravec includes security experts from the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, and the royal household.
These officials advise the independent chair, who ultimately decides eligibility and the level of protection.
While the Home Office is legally responsible for Ravec’s decisions, ministers have no direct control over the outcomes.
A Government spokesman said, “The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
Notably, the duke’s last threat assessment was in 2019, leaving a five-year gap without review.
Harry has since pressed Ravec to follow its own rule requiring annual risk evaluations for royals and other VIPs.
