LONDON — Lawyers for Prince Harry say the British royal is unwilling to bring his children to his homeland because it is not safe.

Harry has launched a legal challenge to the U.K. government's refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he comes to Britain.

His legal team says Harry wants to bring his son, Archie, who is almost 3, and 8-month-old daughter Lilibet to visit his home country from the U.S., but that is too risky without police protection.

Lawyers say his private security team in the U.S. doesn't have adequate jurisdiction abroad or access to U.K. intelligence information.

Harry, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, did not attend Friday's preliminary hearing in the case.

Harry and his wife, Meghan, stepped back as working members of the Royal Family in early 2020, at which time they left the U.K.

In a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired in March 2021, Harry and Meghan detailed receiving a lack of support from the Royal Family despite a series of negative press from British tabloids.

Meghan described thoughts of suicide and says when she shared those thoughts with members of the institution, she still did not receive the help she needed.

The couple also described an incident during Meghan's pregnancy with her son in which a member of the institution was concerned about the color of his skin. The Royal Family has denied accusations of racism in the institution.