Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's permanent move back to Britain could reportedly cost taxpayers up to £5 million a year in round-the-clock protection, triggering furious backlash over who will foot the bill. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to relocate from California to an undisclosed location in the UK outside London. Their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are set to enrol in British schools from September.
However, the decision to bring their family back to British soil has forced top-level officials to urgently re-evaluate the couple's security needs. Former Metropolitan Police head of royalty protection, Dai Davies, has warned that the move "changes the whole dynamic" and drastically elevates the threat level.
Threat level reassessment
"The chances of him getting this protection now have gone up considerably," Mr Davies told the Daily Mail. "This has changed it - bringing the family, being resident here, his profile… the threat level must now be looked at carefully again."
"I'm not saying he gets it [the protection he is asking for], but it has to be properly professionally reviewed again in my view," he added. "There is a genuine potential threat, I would say, professionally [to Harry and his family]. It's one thing when he came alone, this has changed the whole dynamic as far as I'm concerned."
The couple lost their taxpayer-funded police protection after stepping down as senior royals in 2020. Harry previously insisted the UK was not safe for his wife and children. Following a defeated Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office in 2025, the Duke told the BBC he "can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK".
Public backlash over costs
His dramatic U-turn - and the potential multi-million-pound bill attached to it - has immediately sparked intense public backlash. Former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Ailsa Anderson, warned the public would react with anger if required to pay for non-working royals during a cost-of-living crisis.
"People are struggling to put food on their tables, to pay their heating bills," she told BBC Radio 4. "I don't think it will sit well with the British public if they feel they have to pay for security for two non-working members of the Royal Family."
Government and Home Office response
Despite mounting pressure, Prime Minister Andy Burnham refused to confirm if public funds would be used, simply wishing the couple well and labelling the relocation a "private matter". Meanwhile, the Home Office stood firm, reiterating that its protective security remains "rigorous and proportionate" while refusing to comment on individual arrangements. Decisions will ultimately rest with the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC).
