Prince Harry's upcoming five-day visit to the UK has sparked widespread criticism from royal fans after his spokesman issued a statement regarding security arrangements. The Duke of Sussex, who is set to return next week, has not yet received an outcome on the assessment of his security by the Risk Management Board (RMB), a key part of the process overseen by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec).
Security Review Delayed
The duke learned on Friday that the RMB review, which Ravec itself deemed necessary last November, has still not taken place. His spokesman stated: “The duke continues to explore every available option to enable the visit to proceed safely and to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK.” The statement emphasised that safe accommodation is only one element of effective protective security, as “risk follows the person, not the place.”
The spokesman added: “The independent Risk Management Board that Ravec itself decided was necessary last November has still not taken place. It is therefore difficult to understand how the proportionality of the current arrangements can credibly be maintained without that independent assessment.”
Public Backlash on Social Media
Royal fans took to social media to express their frustration with Harry's security concerns. One user on X commented: “Yet the [Sussexes] travel to Nigeria, Columbia & Jamaica. For goodness sake. Harry was in Ukraine twice & that’s an active war zone. We aren’t d**b, Harry.” Another added: “I’m totally missing his logic that his family needs such high security he uses same security in US (LA no less which is a mess) and is fine. If someone want to get to his family it would be anywhere. Why is UK different??”
A third user opined: “If the FUTURE QUEEN of the United Kingdom the Princess of Wales can wander around doing the Three Peaks Challenge without ANY security or ANY security issues whatsoever, it shows Prince Harry SCREECHING about ‘appropriate and proportionate’ security is really about his fragile ego.” Another asked: “How about slipping into the UK quietly as they did in Portugal?”
A fifth user agreed: “How about stop telling everyone what you are doing, stay at one of the Royal residencies he has been offered and I dare say they will send him a car. He already has protection provided as you well know.” A sixth commented: “They could’ve snuck the kids in and then left. Then they could’ve made the announcement. Instead, they announced to the world that they’re bringing the kids to milk it for headlines and then they post their minute-by-minute itinerary.”
Legal Battle with Home Office
Harry has been engaged in a protracted legal battle with the Home Office over security arrangements since stepping down as a working royal in 2020, which led to a change in his level of protection. Last year, he lost a Court of Appeal challenge against the Home Office. In a subsequent BBC interview, he expressed hopes of reconciliation with his family but revealed that King Charles would not speak to him due to the security court case.
Harry said: “I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point and the things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything you know.” He had planned to be joined by Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for the five-day trip marking the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games in Birmingham. No decision on Harry's security has been made yet.
