Royal Security


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Thinking along the lines of the Sussex security questions, it reminds me of an old Moody Blues album I've been meaning to dig out again. "A Question Of Balance". One thing I think that is going to happen is that if H&M decide part of the year in N. America and part of the year in the UK, they may even experience themselves the differences.

Say, for example, when they are in the UK at Frogmore, they still retain RPOs from the Met as members of the royal family, then when in N. America, responsible for their own security detail and paying for it, they're most definitely going to notice the difference in the coverage and the quality of the service that surrounds them.

It'll be Paris revisited I think. Private security answers to H&M themselves while the RPOs from the Met call the shots. It may prove interesting to watch what develops over time. ?
But they're not going to be in Frogmore all that much. I think they will come for a couple of weeks during the year and do their charity engagemettns or come and see family.. but they wont be steadily resident there and most of the security they know and experience will be in Canada. And probably it will be private. So they're not going to really "notice a contrast" because they wotn be in the UK long enough. Anyway Hary has had RPOs all his life.. so he's used to what they are like. Hopefully it wont be "like Paris", in that if H has private security, he will listen to them and do what they say and not try and go his own way, so htat his safety will be assured as much as is possible.
 
Security costs is still a big debate in UK:

Breakfast telly show Good Morning Britain conducted a poll for followers of the show on Twitter.
Since it surfaced yesterday, 90.6 per cent said taxpayers shouldn't fun security
On the show today, Diana's ex-protection officer suggested Queen pay the bill
Ken Wharfe warned that farming it out to the private sector would be a 'disaster



'Taxpayers should not have to pay Harry and Meghan's security bill'
https://mol.im/a/8064505
 
It may well be that the Public feels an choice should be presented - return to live in the UK to live [but not necessarily as 'working Royals'] and we will pay for your security, OR live abroad and 'do what you will', but pay for your own security ?

90% of any poll is a pretty conclusive result...
 
It is interesting that yet another formal member of the royal protection squad is against them going into the private sector for security. And it makes me wonder if they are that vocal while no longer working in those position, then I would imagine the current ones are just as vocal. And if they are the ones who have the final say then where does it go from there? It seems even if they wanted to do away with their RPOs that they would be advised against it.
 
I wish we could get past this Diana security thing. Her death was very sad, but she did not need Royal Protection Officers to stop her from getting into a car with a drunk driver or to make her fasten her seatbelt.

I bet that the Queen and Prince Charles end up being saddled with the bill. They're not going to want a public row that would damage the monarchy and embarrass the government. It just seems unfair that they should have to pay for the results of Harry and Meghan's choices.
 
seems unfair that they should have to pay for the results of Harry and Meghan's choices.

It certainly does ! They may pay the financial bill, but others will 'also pay', in terms of more onerous workload - nothing will persuade me that the Sussexes are anything but selfish...
 
It certainly does ! They may pay the financial bill, but others will 'also pay', in terms of more onerous workload - nothing will persuade me that the Sussexes are anything but selfish...

It certainly illustrates how wise the Windsors have been to try to instill a sense of duty in family members; when uncoupled from duty, the consequences of being raised with such privilege is apparently a massive sense of entitlement.

I feel terrible for the RPOs who are basically now forced to live half their lives away from their families, hobbies, responsibilities at home, etc.
 
It certainly does ! They may pay the financial bill, but others will 'also pay', in terms of more onerous workload - nothing will persuade me that the Sussexes are anything but selfish...

Selfish, yes, but I would also add entitled. Imagine thinking so highly of yourself and believing yourself to be so spectacularly important that you believe yourself to be entitled to millions of dollars in security costs, hassles, and international negotiations. I find myself more and more gobsmacked every single day by these two. I understand that threat assessment, assignment of officers, etc. is done at the discretion of the Met. But, the only right thing to do here is to recognize the hassles and headaches you're heaping onto everyone around you and offer to pay for your own security.
 
is to recognize the hassles and headaches you're heaping onto everyone around you and offer to pay for your own security

That would require a level of self-deprecation and awareness of others [see 'sacking of staff'] that sadly this pair signally LACK...
 
Its also hugely unfair to put pressure on their protection officers having them flying back and forth from UK to Canada. These people may well have or be wanting to start their own family lives and will now have to spend considerable time out the country. Being able to get home each night at the end of their shirt of even being elsewhere in the UK (e.g. at Balmoral in the summer etc) is nothing compared to that.

That is also why the cost will be so high (even if its not £20mill) as the officers won't want to be working all the time in Canada (hence the need for regular flights) and will want to be living somewhere reasonably comfortable to make it all bearable.
 
It certainly does ! They may pay the financial bill, but others will 'also pay', in terms of more onerous workload - nothing will persuade me that the Sussexes are anything but selfish...

Nor I.

Their over inflated sense of self is beyond greed. Time to “man up”. (I hope his father doesn’t pay for their security either, it’s time to let him stand on his own).
 
Nor I.

Their over inflated sense of self is beyond greed. Time to “man up”. (I hope his father doesn’t pay for their security either, it’s time to let him stand on his own).

Does anyone who comes from money ever really stand on their own two feet? BUT Harry is living in a free house and is basically doing nothing at the moment.

It isn't realistic to continue to ask British security officers to work long term in Canada. Unless it's on placement. Harry's security must go private, and will need to be covered elsewhere and probably by Charles. Also seeing as he won't be appearing in public with the family. It won't be paid for in those big occasions. But on family ones yes.
 
Nor I.

Their over inflated sense of self is beyond greed. Time to “man up”. (I hope his father doesn’t pay for their security either, it’s time to let him stand on his own).

But since there are legitimate threats to the family’s safety Charles doesn’t have many options. He can allow the public to assume the security costs for Harry and his family and pray the public will move onto some other news ASAP. He can take his son and daughter in law’s wish for financial independence as legitimate and not pay anything, thereby running the risk that Harry and Meghan will take the public security they’re entitled to, public opinion be damned. Or even worse, they won’t, and then a small child is potentially at risk, (I’m ruling out the option of Meghan and Harry actually being able to come up with the money on their own for now). OR, Charles and maybe The Queen, can announce that they will contribute something to the costs. Maybe they offer to make up the difference between what the cost would be if Harry and Meghan had stayed in the UK and what it will cost to keep them protected abroad.

Also, regarding a post above about private security being subpar, there are very good private security options available. In some/ many cases it’s former government security agents running the show, and the protection provided would be more than adequate for what Harry and Meghan need. The problem isn’t that private security would be “a mess,” it’s that the couple currently can’t afford what they need. This is one more reason I don’t understand the couple rushing their exit - the security issue is one thing, in particular, that should have been worked out in private, before they announced they were leaving.
 
I don't know what they were thinking of. The cost of security question was raised by the Canadian media pretty much as soon as they moved there, and quite reasonably so. Did it genuinely not occur to Harry and Meghan that it was going to be an issue? Then again, did it genuinely not occur to them that using "Sussex Royal" was going to be a issue? Surely security should have been one of their first concerns, especially with Archie to think of.
 
Poppy7 and camelot23ca...

It looks to me as though Harry is playing “grown up”. Aside from whatever charities they are suppose to be working on, he doesn’t seem to have a career. Either he’s trying to figure that out or he’s waiting for that to be handed to him, couldn’t say.

Regarding security...they left on their own accord. They are responsible (lol saying that about them) for their child’s shelter. They are his parents. I really don’t see why Charles or anyone other than themselves should be expected to do anything for them when they are not representing the Royal Family.

They can well afford to “pay as you go” for their own security , I’ve seen folks say he has 30 million. He is not a pauper. They left, (forget going around in circles as to why), they left. I believe they might have been planning for a few months to do this, financial independence with cake and eat It too. It has backfired. The problem for me is “they expected” and aren’t going to go quietly. They want.

I ache for Charles as a parent watching this play out so publicly while his son “acts up” trying to garner sympathy from the masses. I just don’t think Harry at his age is the responsibility of his father or anyone regardless of his birth right.

Sometimes you have to live with the choices you make, and, as a parent, I can attest, it’s hard to watch at times, no matter what station in life you have.
 
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I don't know what they were thinking of. The cost of security question was raised by the Canadian media pretty much as soon as they moved there, and quite reasonably so. Did it genuinely not occur to Harry and Meghan that it was going to be an issue? Then again, did it genuinely not occur to them that using "Sussex Royal" was going to be a issue? Surely security should have been one of their first concerns, especially with Archie to think of.

No, because they were obviously expecting to be part time Royals, part time entrepreneurs with full time Royal benefits. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to them that their plan would be impractical and inappropriate. And no thought for the hardship they were putting upon their RPOs by living overseas.
 
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Charles will be King later if not sooner. Is it realistic to think that a king’s son and grandson will not have protection unless they can pay for it themselves?
 
Charles will be King later if not sooner. Is it realistic to think that a king’s son and grandson will not have protection unless they can pay for it themselves?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Andrew (the reigning Queen's son) just lose his taxpayer-funded security? And if I'm not mistaken, Euginie and Beatrice (The Queen's granddaughters) also don't get it. And one of the girl was working (and living?) in USA as well.

Like many have mentioned before, most likely Charles will pay.
 
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Charles will be King later if not sooner. Is it realistic to think that a king’s son and grandson will not have protection unless they can pay for it themselves?


Is it realistic for a King's son and grandson to live abroad and receive the same protection as if they were living at home and carrying out royal duties? Common sense says that security will change depending on the circumstances.

If Harry and Meghan were to live a quiet, private existance in Britain their needs for protection would be different to if they were to continue courting public attention on a World stage. Their fame will bring them need for protection and their fame will bring them income high enough to pay for their own staff. Thus, problem solved.
 
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Andrew (the reigning Queen's son) just lose his taxpayer-funded security? And if I'm not mistaken, Euginie and Beatrice (The Queen's granddaughters) also don't get it. And one of the girl was working (and living?) in USA as well.

Like many have mentioned before, most likely Charles will pay.

I haven't read anywhere that Andrew has lost his security. Every time he is seen he has security with him.

Andrew himself pays for the security for his daughters (even so far as offering the jobs to the teams that had in place and some of those officers took the offer of better pay and conditions to work privately doing the same job they had been doing for the Met).
 
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Andrew (the reigning Queen's son) just lose his taxpayer-funded security? And if I'm not mistaken, Euginie and Beatrice (The Queen's granddaughters) also don't get it. And one of the girl was working (and living?) in USA as well.

Like many have mentioned before, most likely Charles will pay.

yes security for Royals has been cut back over the past yaers. The York girls lost theris, so has Andrew. Sophie Wesex only has secrutiy when on public duties.. so there's no reason why Meg and Harry should have it paid by the tax payer
 
Is it realistic for a King's son and grandson to live abroad and receive the same protection as if they were living at home and carrying out royal duties? Common sense says that security will change depending on the circumstances.

If Harry and Meghan were to live a quiet, private existance in Britain their needs for protection would be different to if they were to continue courting public attention on a World stage. Their fame will bring them need for protection and their fame will bring them income high enough to pay for their own staff. Thus, problem solved.

Maybe. I don't think they will do nearly as well as they expect and the cost of security will fall on Charles. Obviously it is a lot cheaper to provide it from public funds if they were still living in Frogmore or KP and living a private life.. but that is not what they chose to do.
 
yes security for Royals has been cut back over the past yaers. The York girls lost theris, so has Andrew. Sophie Wesex only has secrutiy when on public duties.. so there's no reason why Meg and Harry should have it paid by the tax payer


Prince Andrew must be sure of security.
 
Security costs is still a big debate in UK:

Breakfast telly show Good Morning Britain conducted a poll for followers of the show on Twitter.
Since it surfaced yesterday, 90.6 per cent said taxpayers shouldn't fun security
On the show today, Diana's ex-protection officer suggested Queen pay the bill
Ken Wharfe warned that farming it out to the private sector would be a 'disaster



'Taxpayers should not have to pay Harry and Meghan's security bill'
https://mol.im/a/8064505

90% of any poll is a pretty conclusive result...

It is worth noting that, as stated in the quote, the survey was a Twitter poll of the show's followers and did not obtain a representative sample of the general population. A nationally representative poll from YouGov found only 66% opposed to taxpayer funding of the Sussexes' security bill.

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politic.../01/13/brits-side-queen-over-harry-and-meghan


That 20M figure is an exaggerated number like much things they post.

Could I ask which source claims the figure (an estimate given in this article) to be exaggerated? The official announcements from Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex communicated that for security reasons, the true figure will not be made public. It is highly likely that all claimed figures are estimates.

A lower estimate was obtained by the CBC (in Canadian dollars):

Security experts, including retired Met police protection officers, have estimated that the cost of protecting the couple in their new life could fall in the range of $10 million to $30 million a year.​
 
Prince Andrew must be sure of security.

but he's not. As far as I know he has lost it, or it is now being reviewed. As he is doing public duties I think its not that likely he will continue to receive it
 
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but he's not. As far as I know he has lost it, or it is now being reviewed. As he is doing public duties I think its not that likely he will continue to receive it


He is the Queen's son, it is obvious that he will continue to have security.
 


He is the Queen's son, it is obvious that he will continue to have security.[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily. Sophie is the Queens' dagther in law and she only has security on public duties. and as Andrew has behaved pretty badly and is not now doing public duties, he may be expected to lose automatic cover from now on.
 


He is the Queen's son, it is obvious that he will continue to have security.[/QUOTE]

Maybe, but not necessarily taxpayer-funded security. So just like his daughters, Metro can stop providing their personnels to guard him and he will have private-funded security.
 
The Metropolitan police will assess the level of need and given the accusations there are probably some tangible threats meaning he could easily have increased security. He has always had a higher profile than his younger brother and that also makes him more of a target. He will have taxpayer funded security for years to come - as will Harry and Meghan
 
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