Harry reconsiders bringing family to UK over security row
Victoria Region
London: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reconsiders bringing his wife and children to England after learning they won’t get police protection, London Telegram he understands.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had planned to be in Britain in early July for five days of events related to the Invictus Games and their charity patronage, and had planned to bring Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet along.
The children are not expected to attend any public events, but Meghan is scheduled to join her husband on visits to Chelsea Royal Hospital and an Invictus event at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham.
Details of the trip were announced on Friday evening (London time).
After a short while, Telegram When he did, Harry was informed that his application for a security package for the visit had been rejected.
The family will not benefit from taxpayer protection when they are in the UK outside of their royal residence. The Duke received an invitation from the King for his family to spend part of the trip on the royal estate. Telegram He does not give names for security reasons.
A source close to Harry and Meghan accused the Home Office and the committee responsible for assessing their safety of “deliberately creating conditions that make it almost impossible” for them to move around Britain.
Duke ‘pretty solid’ on security
While the Duke himself has been “generally pretty solid” in dealing with safety issues, the source said there were concerns about the impact on children if anything went wrong.
Harry was awaiting the outcome of a review by the risk management board, which is part of the rulemaking process on security requirements of the executive committee responsible for the protection of copyright and public figures (RAVEC).
It was said that the evaluation would be made in March. But a source said he was told last week that this had not happened and that all such evaluations had been “paused”.
Since leaving royal duties to move abroad in 2020, the late Queen Elizabeth II has been He was not provided with police protection on any return visits unless he attended official royal events, such as Elizabeth’s funeral.
They are currently required to give 28 days notice of plans to visit the UK, with taxpayer-funded cover to be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Individual police forces may independently provide their own police to incidents, especially if there is additional risk to the public. The Sussexes also travel with their own private security guard.
Harry is described as “desperate” for seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet to go to see their grandfather, the King.
The last time we saw them was in 2022, when the Sussexes won World War II. He saw it while he was in Britain for Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. The family celebrated Lilibet’s first birthday together at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
A source close to Sussex said: Telegram: “Endless speculation about the security situation and where the family will stay makes the planning and logistics of the private security team increasingly difficult.”
They added: “The Home Office and the RAVEC board are deliberately creating conditions that make it almost impossible to move the family from A to B.
“There have been three separate incidents that we know of in the UK in less than 12 months, each involving a stationary person approaching the Duke’s feet.
“In some cases, they could not remove the person due to the limited powers of private security.
“Harry’s a big guy, he’s a former soldier, and he’s generally pretty tough when it comes to handling these events. What everyone’s most worried about is the impact these kinds of moments will have on kids.”
The children live privately in Montecito, California. While their mothers share photos and videos on Instagram, their faces are hidden and they do not attend public events with their parents.
A source said the Duke “just wants his children to see their grandfather” but is reconsidering whether it is safe to do so.
He will maintain his own commitments, including relationships with charities such as WellChild, Scotty’s Little Soldiers and Invictus, but may change announced plans for his family.
The family can fly for a day
Options being considered include flying to the UK in one day from mainland Europe, where the family is thought to be on holiday.
Harry is said to have been assured by Buckingham Palace that there was “hope” a meeting with the King could take place.
Sussex’s private security team has produced its own risk assessment, which identified serious concerns.
A source said: “Safety has always been about risk, not job title.
“A role may change, but the threats faced because of who someone is, where they come from, and what they do to serve their country don’t just disappear.”
A government spokesman said: “The UK government’s protective security system is stringent and proportionate.
“It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information about these arrangements as doing so could compromise their integrity and impact the safety of individuals.”
Telegraph, London
Take notes directly from our foreign country reporters about things that make headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What’s on in the World Newsletter.
