Taylor Swift could be a big help to Prince Harry as he battles it out in court to try and secure police protection while in the U.K.

The Duke of Sussex has repeatedly been denied taxpayer-funded protection. He lost a legal battle with the Home Office earlier this year over his right to automatic police protection after stepping back from the royal family, but is set to challenge the ruling in the Court of Appeal in April.

Neil Basu, a former Met assistant commissioner, believes Harry could use Taylor to strengthen his case. The Shake It Off hitmaker was given special police escorts for her Eras Tour shows in London back in August following terror threats.

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Taylor’s mom Andrea Swift reportedly negotiated with Met Police officers to secure the additional protection. Basu said, “I would have made the same decision. But the same logic applies surely to the youngest son and family of our King?”

Basu, who served as Counter Terror Chief until 2021, said there is a a “very real and disgusting threat” against Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. Speaking to The Telegraph, the legal expert agreed Taylor faced genuine threats before adding, “So are those faced by Prince Harry and his family.”

The Met Police’s decision to provide Taylor with special police escorts was surrounded by controversy over political interference in policing matters. There had been pressure from senior government figures to provide the security detail.

The Met Police insisted they had acted independently. In a statement, they said, “Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case.”

Harry’s initial legal challenge for taxpayer-funded protection focused on the alleged lack of transparency regarding the Royal and VIP Executive Committee’s (Ravec) decision making process. The Duke of Sussex claimed to have been treated less favorably than others.

He was granted the right to challenge the decision by the Court of Appeal after losing the legal battle. The Court of Appeal suggested there was a “real prospect of success” in arguing Ravec should have followed its written policy.

Harry has been open about his security fears. In a statement released last year, he explained how the lack of protection had prevented his family from returning to England.

“It was with great sadness to both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” he began. “The U.K. is my home. The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States.”

Harry continued, “That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil. I can’t put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life, I’m reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”

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