Prince Harry faces new hurdle as Shabana Mahmood launches sweeping security review

Allies of the Duke of Sussex worry that a sweeping security review launched by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood could delay any decision on whether he receives state-funded protection.

Prince Harry is thought to be weighing his options amid concerns that the review, announced on Monday in response to the killing of Reform UK justice spokesman Ann Widdecombe in July, might either stall a decision on his security arrangements or leave them entirely unchanged.

Ms Mahmood's review covers protection measures for MPs, members of the Royal Family and other prominent public figures, aiming to urgently assess whether current safeguards are sufficient for those at greatest risk.

The Duke's camp fears the broad scope of the exercise could effectively sideline his case, it is understood.

The Justice Secretary told the Commons that the review would scrutinise security from all angles, taking in physical threats, online dangers and risks arising from what she described as an increasingly "polarised" society.

Ms Mahmood also confirmed that dedicated police support would be extended to political party leaders who do not sit in the Commons, along with peers, former parliamentarians, ex-members of devolved legislatures and party spokesmen and women.

Those individuals will now be entitled to a named police contact and assistance with broader protective measures, mirroring the support already available to MPs.

Ms Mahmood said: "Those who enter public life do so to serve. Robust debate and criticism are part of the job. Threats, abuse and violence are not. An attack on any individual in public life is an attack on every one of us, and it is an attack on democracy itself. We owe it to those public servants we have tragically lost, and to everyone who believes in a fair and open country, to ensure those who serve receive the protection they deserve."

A source close to the Duke told the Telegraph: "If the review is genuinely root-and-branch and truly independent, it could provide an opportunity to shine a light on the current processes, which appear contradictory and allow far too much discretion to be exercised according to political appetite or bias, rather than being grounded in an objective assessment of threat and risk."

Prior to the Sussexes' return to Britain last month with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) granted a review of the Duke's security in July.

That assessment ultimately occurred a fortnight after Ms Widdecombe's killing and a week after the couple had departed from a previous UK visit. It was, however, carried out on the basis that the Duke was a US resident making infrequent trips home.

Fresh Government-backed risk assessments were subsequently provided following the family's relocation to Britain.

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Ravec asked the couple to supply comprehensive details of their day-to-day routines so that any shift in threat level could be properly evaluated, with the committee said to have stressed the importance of understanding the family's "pattern of life" down to the finest details of their new schedule.

The Duke's pursuit of taxpayer-funded protection has been a long-running battle. Last year, he lost a court challenge against the Home Office over security provisions for himself and his family in the UK, after his protection was downgraded when he stepped back from royal duties.

Last month, the Sussexes withdrew their children from a new school after just two days, citing security concerns.

Decisions on protective security for senior public figures, including royals, are taken by Ravec, a body comprising the Home Office, Metropolitan Police and the Royal Household, which advises an independent chairman.

GB News has contacted Prince Harry's spokesman for comment.