Good Morning Britain presenters Ed Balls and Kate Garraway were joined by panellists Kwasi Kwarteng and Kevin Maguire on Monday, June 29, to discuss the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's reported hesitation to visit the UK with their children. The couple had been expected to make their first family trip in four years, but Prince Harry's appeal for police protection was rejected, leading to second thoughts.
Panellists Question Harry's Motives
Kwasi Kwarteng expressed surprise at the timing, saying: 'It seems odd to me that at the eleventh hour, last minute almost, that he's now saying, We're not coming.' Ed Balls clarified that Harry has his own security team but lost a court case for full royal police protection, as an independent process decides what is proportionate. He noted that when on the royal estate, the family would have normal protection, but travelling as a citizen would require privately paid security without Met armed police.
Kate Garraway suggested: 'People will be thinking, If you really want to come here to see your dad and let your dad get to know your kids, why not just stay in Buckingham Palace?'
Maguire Calls Harry a 'Spoiled Brat'
Kevin Maguire fumed: 'He might be concerned or he might be a spoiled brat, just throwing his toys out the pram again. He's coming from a country that's just got guns everywhere. You're in danger there, you're not in the same danger here. The Met police have done an assessment of what they think the risks are. If there's a risk, you can get a gun guard. If they think there's no risk where he's going, he won't get a gun guard. End of. What's the problem?'
Maguire added: 'I think it's some psycho drama with him and his family here... Well, if he doesn't come, it's him. I'm sympathetic to him, more than most people... This is getting silly. You can't be that entitled to say, Right, I want the full police motorcycle riders, big armed teams, cars, all that provided for me - the complete VIP treatment, when you left the country, slagging off a lot of people as you went, and you made a fortune.'
Kwarteng: 'Wanting His Cake and Eat It'
Kwasi Kwarteng concluded: 'He wants to have his cake and eat it, that's the thing. He doesn't want anything to do with them, but wants all the perks and privilege.' A government spokesman stated that the protective security system is 'rigorous and proportionate' and that it is long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements to avoid compromising their integrity.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
