Parts of the documents in a case brought by Prince Harry against the Home Office over his police protection in the UK will remain secret, a High Court judge has ruled.
Last month the Duke of Sussex applied for a judicial review when it was decided he would not be allowed to pay for protection when he and his family return to the UK.
A representative for the royal, soaking up the sunshine in Los Angeles with wife Meghan and two children, said it was “too dangerous” to return as a result.
At a preliminary hearing in February the High Court heard representations from both sides to keep some of the court documents private and out of the public eye, it has been revealed.
Both the duke and the Home Office have agreed on the “vast majority” of what needed to be redacted from witness evidence.
A judge today has allowed the bid.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Swift explained editing out information from court documents would "avoid the risk that putting information into the public domain concerning security arrangements made on past occasions, and the general approach to whether and if so what arrangements should be made, may impair the effectiveness of arrangements in place now, or which may be put in place in the future".
He added: "Information about these matters would self-evidently be of interest to anyone wishing to harm a person within the scope of the security arrangements and would assist them to piece together previous practice with a view to anticipating present or future security provision."
Mr Justice Swift said some parts of his reasons for the decision would have to remain confidential.
Introducing the case last month, Shaheed Fatima QC, for the Duke, said: "This claim is about the fact that the claimant does not feel safe when he is in the UK given the security arrangements applied to him in June 2021 and will continue to be applied to him."
"It goes without saying that he does want to come back to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart.
"Most of all, this is and always will be, his home."
Speaking on the decision to keep some of the documents secret, the judge said: “Part of that judgement may need to be confidential and if so that part of the judgement will not be made publicly available."
Prince Harry was said to have been unhappy with how his security was dealt with in the summer when he returned to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his mother, Princess Diana.
When Harry arrived in April for the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip, Harry was met on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport by Scotland Yard protection officers.
But when he came back again in July, it is thought that was not the case, and it is understood Harry's car was chased by photographers as he left.
Robert Palmer QC, for the Home Office, previously told the court the duke's offer of private funding was "irrelevant".
In written submissions, he said: "Personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately financed basis, and Ravec does not make decisions on the provision of such security on the basis that any financial contribution could be sought or obtained to pay for it."
