Royal expert Richard Eden has accused Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of attempting to "manipulate" the British government into providing taxpayer-funded police protection for their upcoming visit to the UK. Eden, the Diary Editor for the Daily Mail, suggested on the program "Palace Confidential" that the Sussexes have laid a "a trap" for the government with their security demands.
According to Eden, the couple has not accepted the offer of a royal residence for their stay, asserting that using such a property would necessitate round-the-clock security. He interprets this as a negotiating tactic by Prince Harry to establish a precedent for receiving police protection when visiting with the wider Royal Family. This stance comes as the Prince reportedly reconsiders bringing his wife and children to Britain due to the Home Office's refusal to grant the family taxpayer-funded security.
The trip, scheduled to begin in just over a week, was presented by those close to the Sussexes as an occasion to introduce their children, Lilibet and Archie, to their wider family. Eden, however, suggested that the Sussexes are cynically "using their children" to revive the discussion about their security in Britain. "This trip is a big deal," Eden stated, noting it would be the first time the family has been together in the UK since the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and only the second time Lilibet would meet her grandfather, the King.
Eden expressed his disapproval, calling the situation "unedifying" and stating, "I don't like it at all." He believes the Sussexes are leveraging the children to exert pressure on the King.
Prince Harry was previously granted police protection during an engagement at the WellChild Awards in London in September 2025. However, in May 2025, he lost a Court of Appeal case that sought to secure the same automatic right to taxpayer-funded security as working royals.
The details of Harry's upcoming UK visit remain uncertain as of Monday, June 29. While the Prince is reportedly still keen to make the trip, it is unclear whether Meghan and their children will accompany him. Harry was scheduled to visit the UK to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, which are to be hosted in Birmingham.