A month after returning to Britain and once again stirring tensions around the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly considering moving back to California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In the latest episode of the Palace Confidential web series, royal commentator Richard Eden and a panel of royal experts discussed reports that Harry and Meghan are already considering returning to California if they are denied taxpayer-funded security in Britain.
Daily Mail editor Alison Boshoff reported over the weekend that friends of the couple say they could leave Britain if the Home Office decides not to provide them with police protection.
Speaking with Sarah Vine and royal biographer Robert Hardman, Eden described the reported ultimatum as “a form of blackmail.”
“It would be very galling to give the Sussexes, after the King has only recently made clear that they are private citizens, the security that the other working royals receive,” he said.
Harry lost his automatic entitlement to taxpayer-funded security in 2020 after he and Meghan stepped back from official royal duties and moved abroad. He later challenged the decision through the courts but failed to have it overturned. Their return to Britain has now prompted a fresh review of the issue.
“My goodness, it makes the whole thing look like some form of blackmail,” Eden said. “It’s as if they’re saying, ‘We’ll move to Britain in an attempt to get the taxpayers to pay for our security.’”
“The implications of that are enormous because if they get it, it would mean Harry and Meghan could come and go and still receive police protection, and they could also say they want the same protection in America,” he added.
“It may well be that American taxpayers, who are already under pressure, could find themselves having to pay for their security too. Harry and Meghan would be absolutely delighted. Somebody else would be paying these enormous costs.”
(Photo: Nathalia Angarita, Reuters)
Those who have followed Harry’s long-running dispute over security will remember that the prince has repeatedly argued that, as the son of the king and someone who served his country in Afghanistan, he remains exposed to serious threats and deserves protection comparable to other senior members of the royal family.
It is worth noting, however, that King Charles’ siblings Prince Edward and Princess Anne do not receive full-time taxpayer-funded police protection and are generally protected when carrying out official royal duties.
Former Prince Andrew, who no longer performs official royal duties, is in a different position altogether.
“If Harry wants to get security, he will have to go back to doing royal duties. It’s inevitable,” Vine said. “They [the Home Office] will eventually say to him, ‘You can have the protection, but you’re going to have to start doing some royal duties.’”
Vine stressed that she was referring specifically to Harry rather than Meghan. “I’m not talking about Meghan, just Harry,” she said. “He’s good at this stuff, and if he does it himself, she doesn’t have to be involved.”