RICHARD EDEN: Meghan's 'outrageous' new move, Harry's ominous warning to his family - and the Sussex mistake the Palace is only just realising

The Duke of Sussex has in the past described his seemingly never-ending legal action against the popular Press as a ‘mission’.

Now, he has a new cause which is apparently even more important than reforming the British media.

It is the provision of taxpayer-funded security to VIPs. Or, more specifically, the workings of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee - known as Ravec.

This may not be the most pressing concern for the average hard-pressed British taxpayer, already struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis. 

But it is the noble cause on which Prince Harry chooses to concentrate his time, money and energy.

Prince Harry in court earlier this month. He has mounted a legal challenge to restore British police protection after it was revoked in 2020, following his split from the Royal Family

Some of us may have been under the impression that he was suing his father’s government in a fit of pique at having his automatic protection withdrawn when he and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, quit royal duties and moved to America to seek a fortune.

But, no, according to Harry, he is pursuing his case against the Home Office to the bitter end because he wants to help other highly privileged individuals who may find themselves in a similar situation.

‘Regardless of the outcome, the duke will hope that by drawing attention to the way the committee operates, the system might change and become more transparent,’ reported The Daily Telegraph, which is one of the few British newspapers with which Harry deigns to communicate.

It added of his selflessness: ‘If he can’t fix it for himself, perhaps he can fix it for others.’

The duke spoke to the Telegraph, which reported that he felt ‘exhausted’ and ‘overwhelmed’ by the legal process of fighting His Majesty’s Government over the withdrawal of his automatic protection when he returned to his homeland.

And, buried away at the bottom of the article was an ominous warning from Harry to the Royal Family.

‘Whether or not he has an appetite for pursuing the case still further, beyond the courtroom, remains to be seen,’ it said.

‘There would be nothing stopping him talking publicly about the experience and what he has learnt, putting together the pieces of the puzzle, writing a second book or making a podcast.’

The Telegraph added: ‘He will be acutely aware that to do so would cause further upset. But the duke believes that if he has uncovered an injustice, he should try and fix it. He is unlikely to rest until he feels vindicated.’

As if such thinly veiled warnings about Harry writing a follow-up to his tawdry memoirs, Spare, were not bad enough, Meghan chose this week to emphasise that she is still Her Royal Highness, whether her in-laws like it or not.

The American former actress posted on her Instagram account a message sent to her which addressed her as ‘Your Royal Highness’.

She and Harry agreed not to use their HRH titles after quitting royal duties, so it seemed a deliberately provocative act to publish the message, which had been sent to her by a government minister from Ukraine.

Royal courtiers are now realising that it would have been better to have stripped Harry and Meghan of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles and HRHs as soon as they decided to move to the US

The move went down badly with a friend of King Charles, who told the well-connected journalist Tom Sykes: ‘It’s outrageous. Every time you think they can’t make it worse, they make it worse.’

From what I hear, it’s starting to dawn on courtiers that the deal agreed with Harry at the ‘Sandringham Summit’ in 2020 may not have gone far enough.

Courtiers are now realising that it would have been better to have stripped Harry and Meghan of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles and HRHs at the time.

That would have put more distance between them and the Royal Family and would have prevented Meghan styling herself Duchess of Sussex for commercial purposes, as she is now doing.