A royal security expert has warned of the dangers Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could face if they aren't afforded police protection during their upcoming trip to the UK. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, lost his taxpayer-funded security in 2020 after he and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped down as working royals and made move to the US.
With the couple set to visit the UK next month, royal security analyst Richard Aitch has expressed fears over what could happen if they aren't given proper police protection. As previously reported by the Daily Express, the UK Government has previously denied Prince Harry, 37, the right to pay for specialist Scotland Yard officers out of his own money, and the duke is currently filing a second lawsuit at the High Court, with the UK Home Office and the Metropolitan Police listed as defendants.
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Speaking with US Weekly, Aitch said: "I would like to think that Harry does actually receive police protection. "It’s a cost to him but nevertheless, some form, some element of that police oversight. No one seems to actually consider the repercussions.
"What if police protection is not afforded and Harry or Meghan are actually attacked?"
Prince Harry has previously stated it would be unsafe for him, Meghan, and their two young children, Archie and Lilibet, to return to the UK without police protection in place.
Prince Harry's legal team has argued that his US entourage doesn't have enough jurisdiction in Britain to offer adequate protection and stated that hiring police officers would come at no additional cost to British taxpayers.
However, last June, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) ruled that Prince Harry is no longer entitled to the “same degree” of security now that he is a private citizen, and not a working member of the royal family.
A Judicial Office spokesperson has previously told the Mirror: "At the moment there are no hearings scheduled but the court has received an application."
