Prince Harry ‘tried to bypass royal house and lobbied No10 advisor over security concerns’

Prince Harry “tried to circumvent the royal household by lobbying a No10 adviser over his security concerns,” legal documents said.

The Duke of Sussex made an offer to fund his own security at the ‘Sandringham Summit’ in January 2020, but was under the impression that his concerns were ‘not properly considered’.

His late grandmother’s private secretary, Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Edward Young, reportedly promised to answer his questions – as did Sir Michael Stevens, the custodian of the purse.

But Harry grew increasingly impatient with the lack of response, so much so that he “complained,” legal documents say.

The Telegraph reports that the Prince was unaware that Sir Edward was part of the organization that decides who gets police protection, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec).

Harry took it upon himself to request a meeting with Boris Johnson’s then Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser, Sir Mark Sedwill.

Harry took it upon himself to request a meeting with Boris Johnson’s then Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser, Sir Mark Sedwill (pictured)

Just a week later, he repeated his concerns to Mr Sedwill.

The Duke’s lawyer Justin Rushbrook KC revealed that while Harry had “believed and hoped” that Ravec would be informed of his offer to pay for his safety, “it became increasingly clear to him that his concerns, in particularly with regard to his and his family’s safety, was not properly considered’.

After his official role ended and he became “a privately funded member of the royal family with permission to earn his own income and pursue his own charitable interests,” Ravec withdrew guaranteed police support.

Ravec chairman Sir Richard said in a letter to the Queen’s private secretary that while the commission would “continue to monitor the security of the Sussex family”, the “existing provision of the Metropolitan Police will be repealed…funded security support”.

Tensions persist over Prince Harry’s legal battle with the Home Office over refusing to provide heavy police protection to the Sussexes – despite offering to pay for it

Harry said he only discovered the magnitude of the change when he made one of his rare visits to England in June 2021, and was unhappy with the arrangements made.

Mr Rushbrook said the Met’s security was being taken down “at very short notice.”

He claimed the decision was against Harry’s wishes, who was just entering a “year of transition” of the Sussex’s new life.

The legal documents show that the Sussexes did not expect to pay for their own safety so quickly, but rather thought it would be “in due course”.

Prince Harry is embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the British Home Office after it previously refused to provide police protection for the couple to return to the country after they withdrew from royal duties and moved to California.

The Duke has taken legal action against the department after being told he would no longer receive the same level of personal protection if he came to visit from the US.

He managed to get a judicial review after it was found that he had not been given a “clear and full explanation” behind the sudden decision.

The couple had to pay their own security staff at a One Young World event in Manchester last month

But he also argues that his offer to pay for his own protection should have caused the Interior Ministry to “destroy and take again.” This request for judicial review is still pending.

The Duke admits he did not make his offer directly to Ravec before launching legal action against the Interior Ministry in September last year.

He believes it is “irrelevant” as his views were made clear by the royal household at the Sandringham summit.

The couple had to pay their own security staff at a One Young World event in Manchester last month.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the couple’s security is “privately secured”.

After their trip to Manchester, police in Dusseldorf told the couple that they will have to pay for their own security service and that officers will only take small-scale protective measures, mostly for crowd control.

And last month bodyguard pictured with Prince Harry and Meghan is a former Met Police officer convicted of strangling his wife and leaving her “seconds away from death,” MailOnline revealed.

Pere Daobry, 51, was pictured on September 5 driving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a Range Rover as they exited Frogmore’s cottage en route to London’s Euston station.

Despite his important role in protecting the high-profile couple, Daobry was convicted in September 2016 by the Colchester Magistrates Court for assaulting his wife, Sarah Jay, a former Essex Police Sergeant, after stating she was no longer loved him.

The revelation would likely raise eyebrows, as Meghan has long championed women’s rights and campaigned against gender-based violence.