Harry and Meghan to Have Security Reviewed After Return to England
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will get a full review of their security now they are living back in England.
The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as Ravec, has informed Prince Harry of the decision. Ravec is the Home Office body that decides who gets taxpayer-funded police protection in Britain. ITV News first reported the review.
Harry and Meghan moved back at the end of August after six years in the United States. Their children start a new school year in September. They pay for it themselves. The couple currently fund private security for themselves and their children.
The review is the first for Meghan since she stepped back as a senior royal in January 2020. Part of the reason is the school runs that Harry and Meghan will now undertake. The Telegraph revealed that the Duchess had been granted her first government-backed review since quitting royal duties.
Their UK security was downgraded after they stopped being working royals in 2020 and moved to the US. Working royals are family members who carry out official duties on behalf of the monarch. On 22 July 2022, Harry won permission to legally challenge the government decision that denied him police protection while in Britain. The Telegraph had reported in June that he reconsidered bringing Meghan and their children to Britain after learning they would not receive police protection.
King Charles III has reiterated that the Duke and Duchess are not working royals and remain private citizens following their return. Sky News reported that position on 7 September. Deadline reported the couple were said to be “surprised” that the King communicated his desire for them to remain non-working members.
Prime Minister Burnham has described security for Harry and Meghan as a private matter. He refused to say whether they would receive taxpayer-funded protection. The Telegraph reported that Harry gave the Home Office security committee less than two weeks’ notice that he was moving his family back to Britain.
What makes this stand out for viewers is the ordinary detail at its centre. This is about school gates and daily routes, not state occasions. The paperwork will decide what, if anything, changes.
