Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daily school runs with their children, Archie and Lilibet, are raising significant security concerns following their return to the UK without taxpayer-funded protection, according to a friend close to the couple. The friend described the school commute as the "biggest area of concern" and the one that "creates the most dangers."
While the specific schools for Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, remain undisclosed, Harry and Markle reportedly intend to handle school drop-offs and pick-ups themselves whenever possible. Staff at the children's educational institutions have reportedly been notified, and measures, including teacher training, have been implemented.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently awaiting a decision from the UK's Home Office regarding whether they will be granted long-term taxpayer-funded police protection while residing in Europe. This request follows their previous denial of such protection during visits to the UK.
Prince Harry's risk assessment, completed in July, has yet to yield a definitive answer, and it is unclear if it encompassed Markle and their children. Harry believes the denial of security is linked to his 2020 decision to step down from royal duties. Scott Hamer, a former Metropolitan Police royalty and specialist protection officer, has expressed that Harry has not received a fair assessment, stating that any credible threat should be objectively evaluated and that the state should provide protection if a genuine risk exists.
Hamer also asserted that Harry's status as a non-working royal should not preclude him from receiving security, drawing parallels to the late Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and former prime ministers, all of whom received protection after their active roles concluded. He emphasized that risk does not simply disappear with a change in royal status.
According to reports reviewed by The Telegraph, Harry's 40-page risk assessment cited five terror plots against him in the UK over the years. Additionally, the couple's security team reportedly intercepted an armed individual carrying a hammer and duct tape at their Montecito, California, home in 2023.
In August, the Duke of Sussex informed the Home Security office of his family's intention to reside in Europe for at least six months. He argues that his taxpayer-funded security evaluation warrants reconsideration due to a "significant change in circumstances."
Last month, it was confirmed that Markle and Harry had relocated back to the UK to be closer to King Charles during his cancer treatment. This move follows Harry's past statements to the BBC about his inability to envision bringing his family to the UK without security. Despite this, the couple visited the UK with their children in July, accompanied by their own security detail, but subsequently made the move back without taxpayer-funded personnel.