Prince Harry feels he has been 'singled out' for 'unjustified, inferior treatment' since Megxit, the Court of Appeal in London heard today. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle 'felt forced to step back' from frontline royal duties in 2020 'as they considered they were not being protected by the institution', his KC Shaheed Fatima has said.
Harry has flown 5,000 miles to be at the Royal Courts of Justice to support his own two-day appeal against a ruling over the right he, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet have to taxpayer-funded bodyguards while visiting the UK. But hitting back the Home Office's barrister said the Duke of Sussex's appeal 'involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees'. It came as MailOnline revealed that Harry is not thought to have seen his father King Charles before the monarch jetted off for Italy for his four-day state visit this week.
The California-based royal is challenging the dismissal of his High Court legal action against the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the country of his birth because he stepped down as a full-time royal. His case has cost the British taxpayer £500,000 so far.
Opening the Duke of Sussex's appeal this morning, with her royal client sat just behind her, Ms Fatima said he had been 'singled out' for 'inferior treatment' when he was stripped of the high level of protection he was previously given by the Metropolitan Police.
'When Ravec made its February 2020 decision about the appellant's protective security, it did not apply its own terms of reference to that decision-making process', she said, adding that Ravec came up with a 'different and so-called 'bespoke process'.
'The appellant [Prince Harry] does not accept that 'bespoke' means 'better'. In fact, in his submission, it means that he has been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment'.
Prince Harry was sat in court following his lead counsel's case, sipping from a plastic bottle of still mineral water as she spoke.
In written submissions submitted to the Court of Appeal today, Harry's KC, viewed as a legal trailblazer because in 2016 she became Britain's first hijab-wearing barrister, said: 'This appeal concerns the most fundamental right: to safety and security of person'.
She continued: 'On January 8 2020, (the Duke of Sussex) 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, but they wished to continue their duties in support of the late Queen as privately funded members of the royal family'.
Ms Fatima later said that Harry was 'not in a position to make any informed representations to Ravec'.
He added: '(His) security does not appear to have been discussed at any formal Ravec meeting and there are no official notes or detailed minutes recording the approach to be taken to (his) security and the rationale for it.'
According to Ms Fatima KC, when Ravec stripped the prince of his top-level security in February 2020, shortly after he and wife Meghan had announced they were stepping back from royal duties and relocating to North America, it did not follow his own rules.
And the judge who previously ruled Ravec had acted correctly, was mistaken.
Ms Fatima said according to its own guidelines, Ravec should have commissioned an assessment of Prince Harry's particular security needs from another specialist body, the Risk Management Board. It has failed to do so, instead reaching its decision by 'bespoke' means.
Ms Fatima said: 'The appellant [the Duke of Sussex] does not accept that bespoke means better – in fact, in his position, it means he has been singled out for different, inferior treatment.'
The hearing before Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean, and Lord Justice Edis is due to conclude on Wednesday with a decision expected in writing at a later date.
It came as MailOnline reveal that the King is not thought to have met with his youngest son when he flew into London from California at the weekend ahead of his High Court showdown today.
Meghan Markle's new podcast was today slammed as an 'inane stream of mindless aphorisms' and 'stomach-turning' as it debuted to a slew of negative reviews. The Telegraph, Standard and Guardian all gave Confessions of a Female Founder two stars, while there were also withering write-ups in the Times, Express and i Paper. One key criticism was that listeners might have hoped to hear much 'wisdom' from Meghan's guest, Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd - but 'we get none of it', because the former actress 'steers conversations towards her own experiences'.
Well, at least one thing is authentic about 'As ever': Just like its founder, these foodstuffs and tea bags overpromise and under-deliver.
Trust me: I ordered everything available and put it to a taste test. A brief taste, that is. Most of Meghan Markle's outrageously priced products are inedible. Truly.
Even the language on the cheap-looking, plasticky packaging is insulting. Consider the 'Steeping Instructions' on her little tin containers of tea bags ($12 per tin, or $1 per tea bag): 'Bring water to a boil.'
Now that is peak Meghan: Unnecessary verbiage conveying unneeded thought or instruction.
As any expert tea maker will tell you, it's actually best not to bring water to a boil, as extreme heat can damage the flavor. Just shy of a boil is the recommended temperature.
The $14 'Crepe Mix', meanwhile, deploys this descriptor: 'French style'.
Well, at least one thing is authentic about 'As ever': Just like its founder, these foodstuffs and tea bags overpromise and under-deliver.
Well, at least one thing is authentic about 'As ever': Just like its founder, these foodstuffs and tea bags overpromise and under-deliver.
You might think someone as sophisticated and worldly as the duchess would know that crepes are a French invention, so by definition they are 'French style'. (The clue is in the spelling, Meghan!)
The 'Limited-Edition Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb' ($28) was not included in my order because, it seems, Meghan and her crack team couldn't get it together.
Even her apology note to customers who suffered unfulfilled honey orders, due to 'overselling', contained sloppy copy and grammatical errors.
'Thank you again for your understanding and support, and for continuing to celebrate with us at this exciting time of launch,' she writes.
Note to Meghan: These customers aren't 'celebrating' with you. They placed orders on something now unfulfilled. That's not great for business.
Further evidence of the slapdash nature is in her last line: 'So much more goodness is coming soon' — minus a period. How could Meghan, who, as we know, loves writing and calligraphy, make such a basic mistake?
Ending a sentence with a period is the grammatical rule. It denotes a completed thought. Then again, when it comes to completing things — well, unless it's the severing of familial bonds, Meghan often lacks follow-through.
On the morning my delivery arrived, Meghan's second attempt at podcasting dropped. What a day!
The debut episode of 'Confessions of a Female Founder' opens with our host introducing herself as 'Meghan' — guess she learned her lesson from that cringe-inducing 'I'm Sussex now' moment on Netflix — and telling she's had sleepless nights over 'the packaging experience' of this new brand.
'A month ago,' she says, 'I was absolutely consumed with packaging.' Really? To feel, look at and attempt to open this stuff is to doubt that assertion.
Let's begin with the raspberry preserve, which comes in what Meghan calls 'a keepsake box' and which one can repurpose as 'a charming home for your favorite trinkets and small treasures.'
This 'keepsake box' is basically a beige cardboard tube with hard plastic buffers glued inside — not very securely, as mine fell apart internally. Its best home is in your recycling bin.
Muslin and bows are for the Kris Jenners of this world, apparently, and the rest of us get clunky packaging — extremely wasteful, given Meghan's concern for the environment, wouldn't you say?
The jam itself, much like our duchess, seems to lack a center of gravity. It is runny — a kind of jelly that doesn't gel. The taste, also like our duchess, is sickly sweet, and the texture leaves a filmy coat on the tongue.
The price for this noticeably small 7.6-ounce jar is $14. The cheaper non-keepsake preserves, at $9, were curiously not for sale at launch.
A classic jar of Bonne Maman will set you back around $5 for a more generous 13 ounces.
Meghan's crepe mix, meanwhile, resulted in a flavor and mouthfeel most akin to undercooked pancakes.
It was bland, as was the shortbread cookie mix ($14), which yielded cookies that tasted both a little too sweet and a little too salty, but ultimately lacked any distinctive punch.
Same with the edible 'Flower Sprinkles' ($15), which looked like colored lint you'd pick out off your sweater and felt rough on the tongue and teeth — almost like roasted hay.
Oh, and the words on the jars and tins! I'll give her this: it's clear Meghan wrote these messages herself.
Here's what's on the side of her cookie mix: 'Let's call this a hug in a box.'
That literally makes no sense, but okay.
'I fell in love with the ritual of tea and "biscuits"' — why biscuits is in quotes, I have no idea — 'during my time in the U.K.'
So she wants to memorialize her time in a country she says treated her terribly, a time when she married into a family she says is racist and who left her so miserable she was suicidal? The logical result: a hug in a box!
On to the tea – surely impossible to screw up?
Meghan offers us three flavors with personal anecdotes on each tin, such as this on her 'herbal hibiscus' concoction: 'There is something magical about placing tea leaves in a mason jar outside' — this really, really depends on where you live — 'and letting it steep in the warmth of the sun, as I do with my children.'
The children! I'm sorry — did she and Harry not flee Britain, in part, to keep their children safe from publicity? Why are we now mentioning them on the side of an overpriced tin of tea?
As for the three flavors – which also include 'herbal lemon ginger' and 'herbal peppermint' – they're all watered down with, again, little to no actual taste.
And I used boiled water for each cup, per Meghan's instruction.
The hibiscus brewed to a very deep, almost neon purple, but its vibrant hue was in stark contrast to its insubstantial taste.
The lemon and ginger was like hot water — hard to achieve, given that ginger usually delivers a real kick.
If Meghan envisions these teas as the perfect beverage to accompany her sweet treats, I'd suggest not pairing them but saving them to then end — especially the peppermint, which helps with what this taste test nearly induced in me: nausea.
Well, at least one thing is authentic about 'As ever': Just like its founder, these foodstuffs and tea bags overpromise and under-deliver.
Trust me: I ordered everything available and put it to a taste test. A brief taste, that is. Most of Meghan Markle's outrageously priced products are inedible. Truly.
Even the language on the cheap-looking, plasticky packaging is insulting. Consider the 'Steeping Instructions' on her little tin containers of tea bags ($12 per tin, or $1 per tea bag): 'Bring water to a boil.'
Now that is peak Meghan: Unnecessary verbiage conveying unneeded thought or instruction.
As any expert tea maker will tell you, it's actually best not to bring water to a boil, as extreme heat can damage the flavor. Just shy of a boil is the recommended temperature.
The $14 'Crepe Mix', meanwhile, deploys this descriptor: 'French style'.
Well, at least one thing is authentic about 'As ever': Just like its founder, these foodstuffs and tea bags overpromise and under-deliver.
Well, at least one thing is authentic about 'As ever': Just like its founder, these foodstuffs and tea bags overpromise and under-deliver.
You might think someone as sophisticated and worldly as the duchess would know that crepes are a French invention, so by definition they are 'French style'. (The clue is in the spelling, Meghan!)
The 'Limited-Edition Wildflower Honey with Honeycomb' ($28) was not included in my order because, it seems, Meghan and her crack team couldn't get it together.
Even her apology note to customers who suffered unfulfilled honey orders, due to 'overselling', contained sloppy copy and grammatical errors.
'Thank you again for your understanding and support, and for continuing to celebrate with us at this exciting time of launch,' she writes.
Note to Meghan: These customers aren't 'celebrating' with you. They placed orders on something now unfulfilled. That's not great for business.
Further evidence of the slapdash nature is in her last line: 'So much more goodness is coming soon' — minus a period. How could Meghan, who, as we know, loves writing and calligraphy, make such a basic mistake?
Ending a sentence with a period is the grammatical rule. It denotes a completed thought. Then again, when it comes to completing things — well, unless it's the severing of familial bonds, Meghan often lacks follow-through.
On the morning my delivery arrived, Meghan's second attempt at podcasting dropped. What a day!
The debut episode of 'Confessions of a Female Founder' opens with our host introducing herself as 'Meghan' — guess she learned her lesson from that cringe-inducing 'I'm Sussex now' moment on Netflix — and telling she's had sleepless nights over 'the packaging experience' of this new brand.
'A month ago,' she says, 'I was absolutely consumed with packaging.' Really? To feel, look at and attempt to open this stuff is to doubt that assertion.
Let's begin with the raspberry preserve, which comes in what Meghan calls 'a keepsake box' and which one can repurpose as 'a charming home for your favorite trinkets and small treasures.'
This 'keepsake box' is basically a beige cardboard tube with hard plastic buffers glued inside — not very securely, as mine fell apart internally. Its best home is in your recycling bin.
Muslin and bows are for the Kris Jenners of this world, apparently, and the rest of us get clunky packaging — extremely wasteful, given Meghan's concern for the environment, wouldn't you say?
The jam itself, much like our duchess, seems to lack a center of gravity. It is runny — a kind of jelly that doesn't gel. The taste, also like our duchess, is sickly sweet, and the texture leaves a filmy coat on the tongue.
The price for this noticeably small 7.6-ounce jar is $14. The cheaper non-keepsake preserves, at $9, were curiously not for sale at launch.
A classic jar of Bonne Maman will set you back around $5 for a more generous 13 ounces.
Meghan's crepe mix, meanwhile, resulted in a flavor and mouthfeel most akin to undercooked pancakes.
It was bland, as was the shortbread cookie mix ($14), which yielded cookies that tasted both a little too sweet and a little too salty, but ultimately lacked any distinctive punch.
Same with the edible 'Flower Sprinkles' ($15), which looked like colored lint you'd pick out off your sweater and felt rough on the tongue and teeth — almost like roasted hay.
Oh, and the words on the jars and tins! I'll give her this: it's clear Meghan wrote these messages herself.
Here's what's on the side of her cookie mix: 'Let's call this a hug in a box.'
That literally makes no sense, but okay.
'I fell in love with the ritual of tea and "biscuits"' — why biscuits is in quotes, I have no idea — 'during my time in the U.K.'
So she wants to memorialize her time in a country she says treated her terribly, a time when she married into a family she says is racist and who left her so miserable she was suicidal? The logical result: a hug in a box!
On to the tea – surely impossible to screw up?
Meghan offers us three flavors with personal anecdotes on each tin, such as this on her 'herbal hibiscus' concoction: 'There is something magical about placing tea leaves in a mason jar outside' — this really, really depends on where you live — 'and letting it steep in the warmth of the sun, as I do with my children.'
The children! I'm sorry — did she and Harry not flee Britain, in part, to keep their children safe from publicity? Why are we now mentioning them on the side of an overpriced tin of tea?
As for the three flavors – which also include 'herbal lemon ginger' and 'herbal peppermint' – they're all watered down with, again, little to no actual taste.
And I used boiled water for each cup, per Meghan's instruction.
The hibiscus brewed to a very deep, almost neon purple, but its vibrant hue was in stark contrast to its insubstantial taste.
The lemon and ginger was like hot water — hard to achieve, given that ginger usually delivers a real kick.
If Meghan envisions these teas as the perfect beverage to accompany her sweet treats, I'd suggest not pairing them but saving them to then end — especially the peppermint, which helps with what this taste test nearly induced in me: nausea.
I think the only thing keeping Markle in the spotlight is all the negative publicity in the likes of the Daily Mail. If they could just ignore her, then she will fade into obscurity. Some people just love to hate her, it seems. I don't like her, but would rather just forget about her.
Prince Harry claims his police protection was taken away to 'trap' him and Meghan Markle in the Royal Family. The Duke of Sussex 's 'worst fears have been confirmed' by secret evidence heard in a new court case, he told The Telegraph. The Duke said it was 'difficult to swallow' being told that the couple's security was being removed, with suggestions that the decision is at the centre of his rift with King Charles. Harry spoke of his hurt at the treatment he and Meghan have received from the Royal Family and implied that it would be difficult to heal the divide.
