Prince Harry has said he is “exhausted” by his lengthy legal battle to reinstate his police protection.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Harry believes that his UK security was removed to “force” him “back into Britain and establishment life”.

He was prompted to sue the Home Office but said he had been “overwhelmed” by the legal action, which has lasted more than three years.

The prince told the Telegraph after a two-day hearing at the court of appeal in London this week that the removal of his police protection was “difficult to swallow”, and that of all his legal cases, including his legal battles with the tabloids, “this one always mattered the most”.

Harry reportedly does not feel safe when visiting the UK with his children. Much of this week’s appeal and the original hearing about his security were heard in private because of the “highly confidential” evidence. “People would be shocked by what’s being held back,” he said, adding that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case and that’s really sad”.

The prince was not required to give evidence at the hearing, but flew from his home in California to attend what has been described as the “last throw of the dice” to overturn a decision. He “comprehensively lost” his case against the Home Office in February 2024 when Mr Justice Lane ruled that the government’s decision to remove his security was not unfair.

Harry reportedly views the removal of his and Meghan’s security as “a means of trying to force them back into Britain and establishment life, by making visits to the UK as outsiders more difficult and potentially unsafe”.

The prince also believes that his father, King Charles, could have intervened to reinstate his security detail because the king’s private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, sits on the royal and VIP executive committee, but Buckingham Palace denied it had any decision-making power.

It is understood that Alderton was not on the committee when the decision over Harry’s security was made five years ago after he and Meghan had left their royal duties.

A palace source said: “These are matters of security and government policy and, as usual, it would be inappropriate to comment or intervene on either.”

It is alleged that Harry is still not on speaking terms with his father and brother. Harry saw the king last February after Charles was diagnosed with cancer, but they have not met since.

A result of his appeal will be handed down by a panel of three judges after Easter.