Prince Harry requested special police protection after threats were made against him by al-Qaeda, court documents have revealed.
The Duke of Sussex attended the Court of Appeal last week as part of his ongoing battle against the Home Office over the level of taxpayer-funded security he gets when visiting the UK.
In February 2020, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) decided he should receive a different degree of protection when in the country compared to other royals, and he is appealing against a High Court ruling dismissing his case against the Home Office over the decision last year.
Terrorist group al-Qaeda called for Harry to “be murdered” and published a document that said his “assassination would please the Muslim community”, the court heard.
“The Appellant confirmed that he had requested certain protection after a threat was made against him by al-Qaeda,” the court document said.
Harry has previously said he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with “additional layers of racism and extremism”.
He believes his family faces an “international threat” and has already highlighted that al-Qaeda had called for him to be killed.
Harry’s legal team claimed there was “no good reason” the royal and VIP executive committee (Ravec) departed from its usual process by not going to a risk management board to determine the Duke’s security assessment.
The Home Office, which is legally responsible for Ravec’s decisions, is opposing Harry’s appeal.
Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back from official public duties on January 8 2020.
The duke and duchess were later told during the so-called “Sandringham summit”, which aimed to agree the terms of their new role, that they would not be able to retain the full-time police protection.
Such protection is currently granted to the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.
Ravec’s final decision, shared on February 28 2020 stated that Metropolitan Police protection would no longer be appropriate after the Sussexes’ departure, and that they should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK.
The Sussexes would instead receive a “bespoke” security service, whereby they would be required to give 30 days’ notice of any plans to travel to the UK, with each visit being assessed for threat levels and whether protection is needed.
Shaheed Fatima KC, for the duke, told the appeal hearing that the duke had been “singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment”, adding that Harry “does not accept that ‘bespoke’ means ‘better’.”
A decision is expected in writing at a later date.
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