Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Finally Have Everything They Wanted — 6 Years After Royal Exit
Palace insiders warn a looming security ruling could upend the monarchy, as per Richard Eden.
Prince Harry has long maintained that the one thing that has influenced all that they do ever since stepping down from royal life is security. However, all that might be irretrievably changed by an impending court ruling. As per reports, it seems that the Duke of Sussex is on the verge of winning his protracted battle for guaranteed armed police protection during his UK trips, which is to be picked up by British taxpayers. According to sources, this follows a recent risk assessment conducted for the Government's Royal and VIP Executive Committee.
But as per Richard Eden, who wrote for the Daily Mail, the ruling would mark a dramatic reversal and not just on practical grounds. Eden has pointed out several insiders warning that reinstating automatic protection would amount to a constitutional misstep with consequences far beyond Harry’s personal safety. It could, they say, hand the Sussexes precisely what they have long sought — the benefits of royal status without the obligations that traditionally accompany it.
The fact is, the couple already has a right to police protection while visiting the UK, but not by right; that is, they must give 30 days’ notice to enable potential risks to be assessed; a system which Eden says Palace insiders consider reasonable and proportionate. Forcing British taxpayers to provide round-the-clock protection for the Sussexes would, Eden claims, provoke enormous public outrage, especially given that they are clearly so well-endowed. Harry had no problem donating $1.4 million to Children in Need when he came to Britain last September, he noted.
Additionally, Eden warns that restoring automatic protection may provoke wider legal consequences. It may enable Harry and Meghan Markle to qualify as 'internationally protected persons' under international law, a move that could see American taxpayers being billed for their security in the US, hardly a popular outcome.
More troubling still, insiders warn of the legal knock-on effects. That outcome, Palace sources note, is unlikely to play well in California. Financially, however, Eden suggests the ruling would ease pressure on the Sussexes. Viewers of the couple’s 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview will recall Harry saying they were forced into commercial deals with Netflix and Spotify after losing security funding. The implications for the royal family are equally significant. Eden notes that working royals such as Princess Anne and Prince Edward receive police protection only when carrying out official duties. Granting Harry and Markle full-time protection, despite their lack of public service, would be deeply anomalous.
Ultimately, Eden says a legal victory would bring Harry closer to the arrangement he and Markle originally sought, a version of royal life that combines privilege with independence. It would also risk allowing the couple to establish a rival royal presence in Britain, diverting attention from Prince William and Princess Kate, who continue to prioritize duty over profit. “A win for Harry and Meghan would change everything,” Eden quotes a friend of the royals as warning.
