Taylor Swift controversy set to 'help Prince Harry' as Duke of Sussex prepares for court battle

Swift received special police escorts for her Wembley Stadium shows in August following terror threats and political intervention.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry continues to be denied similar protection on an automatic basis.

Andrea Swift, the star's mother and manager, threatened to cancel the London concerts before additional security was granted.

The Met Police initially resisted providing the escort, as their assessment concluded it was not necessary for the service typically reserved for senior royals and politicians.

However, following pressure from senior Government figures, including Yvette Cooper and Sadiq Khan, the force sought legal advice from the Attorney General.

Swift's mother negotiated directly with senior Met Police officers and even Sue Gray, the Prime Minister's chief of staff at the time.

The decision sparked controversy over political interference in policing matters.

Prince Harry lost a legal battle with the Home Office earlier this year over his right to automatic police protection after stepping back from royal duties.

The Duke of Sussex is set to challenge this ruling in the Court of Appeal in April.

His initial challenge focused on the alleged lack of transparency regarding the Royal and VIP Executive Committee's (Ravec) composition and processes.

He argued he had been singled out and treated less favourably than others.

The Court of Appeal granted him leave to challenge, concluding there was "a real prospect of success" in arguing the committee should have followed its own written policy.

Neil Basu, a former Met assistant commissioner, believes the force was right to protect Swift but questions why similar logic is not applied to Prince Harry.

"I would have made the same decision. But the same logic applies surely to the youngest son and family of our King?" he told The Telegraph.

Basu, who served as Counter Terror Chief until 2021, revealed there was a "very real and disgusting threat" against the Sussexes. He stressed that while Swift faces genuine dangers, "so are those faced by Prince Harry and his family."

A source close to Prince Harry's case claimed the Swift episode demonstrated that exemptions to security policy could be made.

"The Met Police claims operational independence, yet we had both the mayor and Home Secretary involved in discussions before the decision was finalised," the source told The Telegraph.

The Met Police maintained they were operationally independent, stating: "Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and the circumstances of each case."

Downing Street has rejected calls for an independent inquiry into how the Swift security decision was made.