Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to travel to London next month with their own private security team, according to sources. The couple, who have resided in the United States and pay approximately $3 million annually for private security, have not yet been granted official VIP security by the British Home Office for this trip. Despite this, they have been offered a royal residence with private security for their stay with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
Sources indicate that while the family will not be traveling by private jet, they will be accompanied by their personal bodyguards. Harry regularly travels with one or two members of his security detail. This visit marks the family's first return to the UK in four years and is anticipated to attract significant public attention.
The Sussexes' trip is planned to coincide with the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham from July 7-10. Prince Harry also intends to use the opportunity to reunite with his father, King Charles, whom his children have seen infrequently.
"They know it will make the biggest spectacle," a source close to the couple stated regarding Harry and Markle. "They will want photos of them being 'royal.'" A significant question is whether the couple, in coordination with Buckingham Palace, will release photographs of King Charles with his grandchildren.
While children Archie and Lilibet have been featured on Markle's Instagram account and in advertisements for her lifestyle range, "As Ever," their full faces have rarely been shown. For instance, photos of Lilibet were used in an advertisement for her range.
The matter of Prince Harry's UK security falls under the purview of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which determines the level of security granted to senior royals and other VIPs. However, private security personnel are not permitted to carry weapons in the UK; only authorized officers can be armed. Additionally, Harry's private team does not have access to MI6 or police intelligence, which royal and diplomatic protection officers utilize.
This security concern was highlighted in January when, during Harry's High Court privacy case, a potential stalker was seated near him on two separate occasions. Although Harry's private security team identified the individual, they were unable to intervene due to the public nature of the building and their lack of police authority.
Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles' Principal Private Secretary, is one of the eight individuals on the RAVEC panel responsible for Harry's security arrangements. Harry has previously suggested that his father could intervene and override RAVEC's decisions, stating in a BBC interview last year, "There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands. Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him. Not necessarily by intervening, but by stepping aside, allowing the experts to do what is necessary."
He also expressed his desire to bring his family to his homeland, adding, "I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point… And I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show, you know, my children my homeland."
Last year, a risk-management board was established to review Harry's security status. RAVEC is now expected to advise an independent chair on whether Harry should be entitled to armed guards.
The Home Office stated in a press release, "The UK Government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security."
While Markle utilized a recent trip to Australia to publicize her "As Ever" brand, including a partnership with the AI fashion platform OneOff, she reportedly has no plans to conduct business meetings during her upcoming UK visit. A representative for the Sussexes declined to comment on security matters.