Former Home Secretary Calls for ‘Middle Ground’ on Prince Harry’s State-Funded Security Debate
As debate continues over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's UK security, a potential resolution may be on the horizon.
Since the announcement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's UK move made headlines, one question has been a constant in the minds of many: will they get state-funded security, and if they do, who will be paying for it? The Sussexes announced last week that they would relocate from California to the UK, six years after stepping back from royal life and leaving Britain to raise their children in the US. The couple also reportedly enrolled their kids at a local school when Markle visited the UK back in July.
Public opinion remains deeply divided over the debate. Some feel that Harry, as a prince, is entitled to state-funded security, while others argue that having stepped down as a working royal, he should not receive it. The decision could prove costly for taxpayers, with estimates suggesting that providing security for the Sussex family could cost up to £5 million a year.
Amid all the chaos, the prince has found major support. While the Home Office has remained tight-lipped about the level of protection Harry and Markle could be given, a review by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) has reportedly been completed. Now, former Labour home secretary Lord David Blunkett has suggested that a compromise might be the best path forward.
Blunkett, who led the Home Office between 2001 and 2004, told The Times on Sunday that there are three different levels of security available. Talking to the outlet, he shared, “There are three areas of security... the fully blown, blacked-out backup car with two or three close protection—one in the passenger car and the others in the backup—on a 24-hour basis." The former home secretary continued, "There's then the middle ground... where you have one or two officers who travel with the principal, as they call it. The third is that they get a driver with security training."
Coming up with the perfect solution to appease all, he said, "The middle of that is a perfectly reasonable thing to offer for the time being, and then it could be reassessed in a couple of years.” His comments come as pressure grows for a practical solution to the long-running security dispute. Another Labour grandee, Dame Emily Thornberry, has also backed the Sussexes' right to protection, saying they “deserve to be secure.” However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has previously described it as “a private matter.”
For now, the Home Office has not confirmed what security arrangements Harry and Markle will receive when they return. But with their UK move approaching, the decision could soon become one of the biggest talking points surrounding their new life back in Britain.
