In a High Court hearing today, Prince Harry asserted that the UK "is my home" and emphasized that he and his children cannot "feel at home" in Britain if their safety cannot be ensured.
The Duke of Sussex, engaged in a legal battle with the Home Office over changes to his security arrangements, expressed in a written witness statement that he and Meghan Markle had no alternative but to leave the country in 2020.
During the London hearing, Harry's barrister, Shaheed Fatima KC, conveyed the Duke's stance that ceasing to be a "full-time working member of the royal family" was not a voluntary choice.
Reading an excerpt from Harry's statement, Fatima shared, "It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020."
Harry emphasized the UK as his home, integral to his children's heritage, and stressed the importance of feeling secure on UK soil. He expressed concern for his wife's safety, stating, "I cannot put my wife in danger like that, and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm's way too."
The conclusion of the two-and-a-half-day hearing marks the commencement of a waiting period for the judge's ruling on Prince Harry's legal action against the Home Office.