By Scarlett O'Toole
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world when they left the Royal Family and according to new reports, Prince William played a huge part in their exit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior royals back in 2020 before moving to Montecito, California. New court documents show Prince William's former aide Simon Case actually drafted a key document on the Sussexes quitting the Royal Family.
Harry lost his security battle against the Home Office this week in a row over police protection. The 51-page judgement in the case revealed how details of Harry and Meghan's Royal Family departure were reached.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.
READ MORE: Meghan and Harry are 'low on fuel' but need to 'roll their sleeves up' for next battle
Court documents, obtained by The Times, show Simon wrote a paper on behalf of the Royal Family which outlined the steps for Meghan and Harry to step down from their royal duties. The documents state: "On January 8, 2020, an announcement was made in relation to the claimant [the Duke of Sussex] stepping back from official royal duties and a public role.
"On January 11, 2020, Sir Edward Young [the late Queen's private secretary] emailed the claimant with a draft paper, which was largely the work of Simon Case, concerning the detailed arrangements to give effect to the announcement. Following a meeting at Sandringham on January 13, 2020, what the claimant describes as 'an agreement of sorts' was reached."
The revelation comes after the Duke of Sussex said he will appeal against the security battle verdict. Harry had filed a complaint in 2021 against the Home Office about the decision to strip him of taxpayer-funded security when he's in the UK. He was granted the right to appeal the decision in 2022, but courts upheld the decision on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Home Office shared a statement after the ruling was made on Wednesday. "We are pleased that the Court has found in favour of the Government's position in this case, and we are carefully considering our next steps. It would be inappropriate to comment further," they said.
"The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security," the statement finished.
Harry's legal team also released a statement saying: "The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec’s own written policy."
* Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.