Prince Harry Says His ‘Worst Fears Have Been Confirmed’ in Raw Comments After His Security Case

Prince Harry is reeling from the aftermath of a legal battle that has forced him to confront the painful reality he’s never fully escaped since leaving the U.K. in 2020 — a reality that lies at the heart of his ongoing rift with the royal family.

Feeling “exhausted and overwhelmed,” Harry told PEOPLE as he left court on April 9 that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case — and that’s really sad.”

The Duke of Sussex, 40, spent two days at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, deeply focused, taking notes and closely following the proceedings of his appeal regarding the removal of automatic state-backed security for him and his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2020.

When Harry and Meghan proposed to the late Queen Elizabeth that they live abroad while still supporting the monarchy, they believed they had found the ideal solution to a difficult chapter — one that would bring them happiness, leave the royal family at peace and allow their public work to continue. “We were trying to create this happy house,” Harry tells PEOPLE.

When Harry departed the Sandringham Summit in January 2020, he did so with the understanding that his security would remain in place. Court documents revealed that, in letters from the Queen herself, she expressed support for Harry and Meghan’s need for “effective security.” Yet, just one month later, the government committee responsible for state-funded security, RAVEC, informed them that this would no longer be the case.

In the years since, Harry has immersed himself in the process, including learning about RAVEC, the body responsible for the decision-making. One of his core beliefs, PEOPLE understands, is that the removal of security for him and his family when they stepped back from the working royal family was a deliberate tactic of control — a way to force them back into the fold. Rather than bringing the Sussexes back, the removal of security instead revealed to Harry the lengths to which they were willing to go, and it became the final straw. The prince admits that this realization “was difficult to swallow.”

Harry’s relationship with his family remains strained. Though they shared a brief, positive meeting in February 2024 following King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, communication between father and son has since broken down. Insiders previously told PEOPLE that Charles no longer answers Harry’s calls or responds to his letters. Attempts to reconnect with his brother, Prince William, through calls, texts and messages have similarly been ignored.

During the two days of hearings, Harry’s legal team argued that RAVEC had “diverted” from its standard procedure, leaving Harry “singled out for different, unjustified, and inferior treatment.” They also contended that this decision excluded him from the same protections extended to others in the “Other VIP Category,” including pop stars and former prime ministers.

Crucially, RAVEC includes members of the Royal Household, including close aides to his father, King Charles. Harry believes his father could intervene to ensure that such protection is extended to him. (Buckingham Palace does not comment on security matters, but a palace source previously told PEOPLE that the suggestion Harry’s security is under Charles’s control is “wholly incorrect.”)

Much of the hearing on April 9 at the Royal Courts of Justice in the heart of London was held in secret. Some of the revelations unearthed during the proceedings have deeply unsettled Harry, confirming many of his “fears” about the situation — a realization he described as profoundly disheartening.

Harry has found a way to move on and forgive much of what’s happened since 2016 — but there’s one thing he simply cannot forgive: the events surrounding the legal battle regarding his and his family’s safety. “People would be shocked by what’s being held back,” Harry says.

The Duke of Sussex has fought several legal battles, most recently securing an apology and admission from the publisher of The Sun newspaper for illegal activities carried out on their behalf, resulting in an eight-figure settlement in January 2025. But this particular fight is one that strikes at the heart of his family life and his future. “This one has always mattered the most,” Harry told PEOPLE as he left court.

The three appeal court judges have reserved their judgment, with the result not expected for several weeks. Regardless of the outcome, Harry has made it clear that he will not stop fighting. His commitment to his causes remains unwavering, and on Thursday, April 10, he flew to Ukraine to visit a clinic supporting wounded military personnel and civilians.

Above all, Harry says he is “driven by exposing injustice,” a relentless pursuit that fuels everything he does. He has long said he can’t simply let things lie — he needs to “get under the bonnet and fix it.” His determination is personal: If anything were to happen to his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, or their two young children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, he could never rest.