Harry at second day of appeal after court told he ‘felt forced to step back’: Live

A woman shouted “I support you Prince Harry” in a dramatic outburst as the duke was escorted out of court by his security.

After entering the courtroom partway through the hearing this morning, she sat in the seating area for members of the public and press.

As court adjourned and the public session of the hearing ended, the Duke of Sussex was escorted out of court by his security, and the woman stood up to leave the courtroom too, shouting: “I support you Prince Harry.”

She then turned to the members of the press and said: “If you are members of the press then you are the reason he’s no longer in the country.”

Harry was seen entering the courtroom again a short time later for the private part of the day’s hearing.

King Charles was on top form being seen laughing and joking with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni about gardening before taking in a performance of William Shakespeare’s Othello in Rome.

But the UK’s ambassador to Italy Edward Llewellyn told Sky the “state visit comes at a key moment” for relations between the countries.

“The UK’s relationship with Italy continues to strengthen as we reset our relationships with our European partners.”

On defence ties, he added: “These are closer than ever with Italy right now, which is vital in a changing Europe, and as both countries stand steadfast in our support for Ukraine.”

Members of the media and public have left the hearing of the Duke of Sussex’s appeal over the level of his UK security as the court went into private session until later this afternoon.

Sir James Eadie KC, for the Home Office told the Court of Appeal on Wednesday that the basis for the bespoke approach “had positive advantages from a security assessment”.

He added: “It was the view of the Ravec chair of the time Sir Richard that the bespoke approach was positively better for informed protective security decisions.

“And indeed all of the witness evidence is to the same effect. It would have positive advantages.

“The bespoke approach was in his view the flexible and tailored approach better matched to the claimant’s revised circumstances.”

He said the former chair of Ravec said the case-by-case approach was also more useful to the claimant for other “confidential” reasons.

A barrister for the Home Office has described the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) as a “delegate” of the Home Secretary, who is “the democratically-accountable decisionmaker”.

In oral submissions about the role of Ravec, Sir James Eadie KC, for the Home Office, told the Court of Appeal today: “If the wrong decision is made, the fallout from that comes to the secretary of state. She is the democratically-accountable decisionmaker and Ravec is operating through her.

“Ravec is able to draw upon expertise and is itself expert and experienced in a thoroughly important way.”

Sir James later said Ravec’s decisions “are made in the context of and about security, including national security”.

Prince Harry was listening intently to barristers for the Home Office presenting their submissions before the Court of Appeal.

He picks up his phone and appears to type a long message during the hearing.

The Duke of Sussex folds his arms and gazes at the ceiling before handing a barrister a note.

During the one hour public section of the hearing, he wipes his brow before whispering to a lawyer to his left side.

He then goes back to staring ahead to follow proceedings as Sir James Eadie KC, for the Home Office, makes submissions outlining the reason why he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country.

A Court of Appeal judge has warned against “asking the wrong question” and acting in any “knee-jerk” ways in such an “important case”.

On the second day of Prince Harry’s hearing, the judge said: “It seems to be, at the moment, that it might be the case that we are asking the wrong question.”

He continued: “The question is whether the authority has failed to follow the policy, as interpreted by the court, without good reason.”

He suggested the question “should not be split up as both sides tend to be doing”, to avoid getting into “irrationality”.

He added: “This is an important case. We don’t want to get it wrong and we don’t want to knee jerk.”

Prince Harry’s decision to step back as a senior working royal has been described as so unusual as to be in a “category of its own” at his appeal hearing challenging his UK security arrangements.

A barrister for the Home Office told the court today: “There is nothing about the appellant’s announcement in January 2020 that he was to step back from his role in the royal family and spend most of his time abroad was usual.”

He added: “It was a category of its own.”

The second day of the Duke of Sussex’s appeal has started at the Court of Appeal.

Harry sat behind his barristers with a notepad, pen and bottle of water in front of him, arriving in Court 73 a few minutes before the hearing began.