Harry and Meghan 'felt forced' to leave Royal Family, court told

Prince Harry has said his children Archie and Lilibet can’t “feel at home” in the UK if it isn’t “possible to keep them safe”.

His witness statement was read at the end of his High Court hearing, where he is challenging the decision to remove his automatic security.

The Duke of Sussex has not been in court for the three-day hearing.

But in his written statement, Harry described how both he and Meghan “felt forced” to leave the royals, something that caused them both “great sadness”.

Prince Harry‘s barrister told the court his decision to leave for the US was not a “choice”.

Most of the case has been heard in private due to confidentiality reasons.

Harry is arguing the decision to take away his police protection was not taken correctly, and that it was unfair and unreasonable.

They want the court to tell RAVEC, the body that determines royal security, to rethink its decision.

The Home Office insists the decision was taken properly, and since Prince Harry is no longer a working royal, he would not be treated the same as the King and other senior royals.

In his written statement Prince Harry said: “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.

“The UK is my home, and the UK is central to the heritage of my children. It is a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live in the United States.

“That cannot happen if it is not possible to keep them safe when they are on UK soil.

“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.”

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These are strong words from Harry, and give a real sense of his frustration. They also paint a picture of a family willing to visit the UK, but seemingly unable to do so.

There could be one other issue in this legal challenge. The Home Office says Prince Harry has left it too late to bring his case.

That will be for the judge to decide, with a final judgment due at a later date.