Harry and Meghan 'felt forced to step back' from royal roles, according to court hearing

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "felt forced to step back" from their roles as senior royals, the Court of Appeal heard on Tuesday. In written submissions, Harry's barrister Shaheed Fatima KC, told the court: "On 8 January 2020, (the Duke) and his wife felt forced to step back from the role of full time official working members of the royal family as they considered they were not being protected by the institution" (via The Standard).

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced that they would no longer act as senior working royals. Just months later, in March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into lockdowns, they moved to Southern California with their son Archie, where they've been living ever since.

Even though they had quit royal life for reasons later explained at length in interviews, and in Harry's memoir Spare, they "wished to continue their duties in support of the late Queen as privately funded members of the Royal Family," Harry's lawyers said.

Harry is in court in London this week as part of his ongoing appeal over police protection while he and his family are in the UK. The appeal is challenging the High Court's decision to dismiss his case that he should not be afforded a lesser degree of police protection when he's in his country of origin. On Tuesday, Harry's barrister criticised the "different and so-called 'bespoke process'" that was put in place for Harry's security when he visits the UK.

"The appellant does not accept that 'bespoke' means 'better,'" she said (via The Standard). "In fact, in his submission, it means that he has been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment."

Sir James Eadie KC, representing the Home Office, said: "It’s important to emphasise that the decision was not that personal security of the kind previously provided would under no circumstances be provided. Rather it was simply that that security would not be provided on the same basis as before because of his (the Duke’s) change of status and because he was now going to live abroad for the majority of his time."

The Duke first began legal action against the Home Office over the matter of his security in September 2021. A decision for the appeal is expected to be issued at a later date following Wednesday's hearing.