Prince Harry 'does not feel safe' bringing his kids to the U.K., lawyers say

Prince Harry wants to bring his children to the U.K. but doesn't feel safe doing so, his lawyers have said.

As part of the Duke of Sussex's effort to pay for police protection when he's in the U.K., Harry's lawyers said during a court hearing on Friday that he "does not feel safe when he is in the U.K. given the security arrangements applied to him," The Associated Press reports.

"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," attorney Shaheed Fatima reportedly said. "Most of all, this is and always will be, his home."

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When Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020, they lost their taxpayer-funded security. His legal team has said that Harry and Meghan "personally fund a private security team for their family," but "that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the U.K.," and "in the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home," per NBC News.

Harry's legal team also says he is "willing to cover the cost of security, as not to impose on the British taxpayer," and he's challenging the U.K. government's decision not to allow him to do so. Harry and Meghan have two children, Archie and Lilibet. An attorney for the British government told AP, though, that "personal protective security by the police is not available on a privately financed basis," and he called Harry's request "unmeritorious."

Harry visited the U.K. last year for the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana, and his legal team has alleged that because of the "absence of police protection" during the trip, his security was "compromised."