Former royal protection officer Neil Basu has offered a rare first-hand assessment of Prince Harry, describing the Duke of Sussex as a “fundamentally really decent man” who is trying to do the right thing by his wife and children.
Basu, a 30-year police veteran who served as assistant commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police and was the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for counter terrorism policing, played a significant role in protecting members of the Royal Family. He says the Prince Harry he knew was “decent,” despite the many public opinions formed about the duke's personality without personal knowledge.
A 'decent' man behind the headlines
“It was my units who protected him, and the rest of the royal family, and the VIPs,” Basu explained on The Crime Agents podcast. He added: “It was my units that investigated the allegations of threats to kill against him and Meghan from the extreme right-wing, Islamist extremist threats against him, as well as extreme right-wing threats against him for marrying a mixed race woman and being declared a race traitor.”
Basu said it is natural that Harry seeks the best protection for his wife and children: “Whether you like him or you don't… he's a fundamentally really decent man who is trying to do the right thing by his wife and two children.”
Basu noted that many people claim to know what Harry is like without having met him: “I know him well. I know him from once helping me open a conference on post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health in policing. He was brilliant with my people that day.”
Return to the UK without police protection
Harry and Meghan Markle returned to Britain on Wednesday without cover from any police protection officers, travelling to their new home, which is not believed to be an official royal residence. They were instead protected by their own private security team, met by a van and two blacked-out cars after their overnight flight from California.
A former Metropolitan Police protection officer told ITV News he thought the decision not to offer full police protection to the duke and duchess was “incredible.” Instead, the couple had been given the contact details of a police liaison officer. Scott Hamer, who guarded King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, said a phone number is “not protection, it’s a fudge.”
“I have been involved in protection for 25 years; I find it absolutely incredible,” Hamer said.
Family plans and extended stay
The Sussexes are not currently expected to make any public appearances before Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, start school at the beginning of September. It is only the third time Princess Lilibet is known to have visited Britain; Prince Archie was born in the UK but moved to Canada and then the US with his parents before his first birthday. Harry and Meghan are also bringing their dogs Mia and Pula to their new home.
It is unclear exactly how long the Sussexes' stay will last. A source told The Telegraph: “How long will they stay? I don’t know, but it will be for an extended period. Whether that’s six months, a year, two years… who knows.”
