Prince Harry was better protected during his visit to war-torn Ukraine than he is on UK streets, a source close to the duke has claimed.
The claim comes as the royal faces accusations of hypocrisy for visiting Lviv just days after arguing in the High Court that Britain is too dangerous for him without taxpayer-funded security.
An insider said it was "simply incorrect" to suggest the Ukraine trip undermines his security case.
The Duke of Sussex visited the Superhumans Center in Lviv on Thursday, an orthopaedic clinic treating wounded military personnel and civilians.
Prince Harry was better protected during his visit to war-torn Ukraine than he is on UK streets, a source close to the duke claimed
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During his visit, Harry donned scrubs to witness surgeries and met with injured veterans.
He also spoke with 10-year-old Roman Oleksiv, who suffered severe burns covering 45 per cent of his body after a Russian missile strike.
"This is my first visit to Ukraine and it certainly won't be the last," the 40-year-old royal vowed.
Harry's visit has sparked controversy as it came immediately after he spent two days in London's Royal Courts of Justice appealing against the downgrade to his security.
Prince Harry is fighting to restore his round-the-clock government-funded protection, which was removed when he quit as a working royal in 2020
GettyThe duke is fighting to restore his round-the-clock government-funded protection, which was removed when he quit as a working royal in 2020.
His barrister argued in court that the prince's "life is at stake" and claimed "Al Qaeda called for the duke to be murdered".
A source close to Harry claimed the level of protection on his Ukrainian trip was superior to what he receives in the UK.
They said: "He can go to Ukraine - a country with an active warzone - because he has a robust security detail, one that he does not have in his home country."
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Prince Harry is the second royal to visit Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, following the Duchess of Edinburgh's visit to Kyiv last year
GettyThe source told the Mail: "The work doesn’t stop because somewhere is dangerous the responsibility is to have the appropriate safety measures in place, which this visit did. Similar to previous visits to Colombia and Nigeria in 2024.
"Whilst in the UK, the Duke receives no such support that some other countries provide."
Harry left the UK secretly on Thursday, landing in Poland before receiving a police escort to the Ukrainian border.
Former Ukrainian military personnel then accompanied him to Lviv.
