Harry’s Security Request Dubbed Reasonable — Expert Says a ‘Foolish’ Admission Makes Him a 'Target'
The security battle has become the center point of Harry’s possible return to the UK with his kids.
The review of Prince Harry’s security status has prompted royal experts to suggest it may pave the way for a reconciliation with King Charles. The former’s earlier attempts to reconnect were stalled because the limited protection in the UK made regular visits difficult. With the reassessment now in motion, experts believe it could play a pivotal role in shaping how Harry and Charles’s relationship develops from here.
Harry has long argued that his UK security arrangements have stopped him from bringing his family to the UK. Weighing in on the same, royal correspondent Jennie Bond recently shed light on the disparity between the protection provided to former prime ministers and that available to the Duke. Writing for The i Paper, she argued, “To me, the equation is simple. If 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?” Bond was referring to former UK prime minister Liz Truss, who is eligible for lifetime taxpayer-funded security. She noted that it costs the government nearly £10m ($13.3 million annually) as the former ministers receive round-the-clock protection from teams of up to 12 officers.
She feels Harry’s circumstances, meanwhile, make state-funded security even more essential. “He cannot change the fact that he is the King’s son.” Security experts have also noted that his military tours in Afghanistan and where he killed 25 Taliban fighters in the line of duty, as mentioned in his memoir, Spare, have added to the threat. The Duke had penned, “They were chess pieces taken off the board, bad guys eliminated before they kill good guys.” Commenting on the same, Bond wrote, "He has, foolishly many would argue, admitted killing 25 Taliban...That admission must only have made the target already on his back even bigger."
The security battle has added to Harry’s estrangement from his family. After he lost the legal battle in May, he called the ruling “an old-fashioned establishment stitch-up” and felt it was an attempt to keep him 'trapped'. Under the current arrangements, Harry has to give a notice 30 days before he arrives in the UK. The police then determine his protection level on a case-by-case basis. To make matters worse, his UK-based security team can’t carry weapons in Britain or access intelligence. His offer to privately pay for official Met protection was also rejected as force can’t be hired commercially.
Incidents earlier this year have shed light on the risks he faces in the UK. A woman long identified as a potential threat and listed among individuals 'obsessed' with the Prince, stalked him during two separate events in September. The first incident took place at the WellChild Awards, where she accessed a secure hotel area and was later found hiding in a bathroom. Two days later, she was intercepted at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies, which Harry was visiting.
Thereafter, Harry had sent a formal letter to Home Office minister Shabana Mahmood to reconsider his security case. Insiders revealed that the move unsettled the progress made during his September meeting with King Charles. A source told The Sunday Times, “It’s not going to help matters. We’re back to where we were.” Latest reports reveal that a reassessment of the same is underway. According to The Sun, a review has begun, with a decision expected next month. Royal observers believe the outcome could determine whether tentative steps toward a father-son reconciliation resume or are halted again by security concerns.
