Reports have claimed that the Duke of Sussex is having his UK security arrangements reviewed by the Home Office, after he said it was ‘not safe’ to bring Meghan and their children to England
Prince Harry could have his tax-payer funded security in the UK reinstated, as the Home Office is reassessing his threat level. The Duke of Sussex was first stripped of his police protection when in the UK after he and his wife Meghan Markle quit their royal duties in 2020 and relocated to America.
Just one month after their bombshell announcement that saw them move to California, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) decided he should receive a different degree of taxpayer-funded protection when in the country after quitting stepping back as a working royal.
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Ever since, Harry has fought to have his security reinstated, claiming it is ‘not safe’ to bring his wife and children, Archie and Lilibet, to his home country without adequate police protection. In May this year, the Duke of Sussex appealed against the High Court ruling, in which it was revealed that the duke had made a request for protection following a threat from terrorists.
“The Appellant confirmed that he had requested certain protection after a threat was made against him by al-Qaida,” an evidence document said. Harry has previously said he faces a greater risk than his late mother, with “additional layers of racism and extremism”.
Prince Harry sensationally lost the appeal, barristers for the duke told the Court of Appeal over a two-day hearing that he was “singled out” for “inferior treatment” and that his safety, security and life are “at stake”. If you can’t see the poll below, click here.
As a result of the loss, Harry gave an interview with the BBC in which he claimed the King “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”, adding: “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”
Saying that he felt “let down”, he described his court defeat as a “good old fashioned establishment stitch up” and blamed the Royal Household for influencing the decision to reduce his security.
When Shabana Mahmood was appointed as the UK’s new Home Secretary in September, Harry wrote to her and submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to Ravec. Now, The Sun has reported that the Home Office has ordered a threat assessment for the first time since 2020. The publication reported that the process is already in progress, with a decision anticipated next month.
For the last five years, Harry’s security in the UK has been decided on a “case-by-case” basis, meaning he must give advance notice of his visits so a threat assessment can be made.
In light of the news of the review, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said that Harry “deserves” the tax-payer funded protection when in his home country, given that the same security measures are given to former politicians.
She told the i Paper : “Security is offered to a former prime minister who served barely any longer than a lettuce takes to wilt, then surely the son of the King deserves the same? Prince Harry is asking for the Metropolitan Police to protect him and (if he were to bring them) his family on occasional visits to the UK. It does not seem an unreasonable request. He cannot change the fact that he is the King’s son.”
Jennie explained that the issue of Harry’s security has long been a major driving force behind his estrangement from the Royal Family , as she wrote: “If he (Harry) gets his wish and his security is restored when he is in the UK, it could pave the way to a family reunion. There’s no doubt that our elderly King would love to see his grandchildren. And, for all the bitterness of recent years, he still loves his youngest son, his ‘darling boy’.”
“For his part, I think the Prince is sincere when he talks about wanting his children to know and understand their heritage. And he has said publicly that he wants his father and his brother back in his life. That may still be some way off – particularly where William is concerned – but if he can at least feel he can bring his family here safely, there has to be some hope of reconciliation.”
What do you think? Do Harry and Meghan ‘deserve’ tax-payer funded security protection in the UK? Take our poll and have your say in the comments.
