The Duke of Sussex has reportedly accused the head of the committee that revoked his state-funded security of failing to inform him about a threat from al-Qaeda in 2023.
Prince Harry is understood to have written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood earlier this month, asking her to take a personal role in deciding whether he, his wife Meghan Markle and their two children should receive police protection while in Britain, The Sunday Times reports.
Allegations over withheld intelligence
His legal team is understood to have said in the letter that the then-chair of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC, was aware of intelligence concerning a threat against the duke. They claim the information was not passed to Harry's security team or to relevant authorities in the United States, where the family was living at the time.
RAVEC is a UK government and royal committee that decides the level of publicly funded security for senior royals, politicians, and high-profile public figures.
The allegations centre partly on intelligence reportedly passed to Harry's private security team by US authorities in late 2023. The FBI is understood to have told the team that intelligence had emerged suggesting senior al-Qaeda figures had circulated material on a private Telegram channel referring to the duke's assassination.
Intelligence and threats
The information reportedly came through the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which includes Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Harry's security team is understood to have received the information from American officials.
As reported by The Times, a source close to the duke said: “His security team cannot even carry a cricket bat as a means of defence — all they’d have is angry rhetoric and their physical strength if someone attacked him or his family. With his return home, the game has changed: the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens and that includes Harry, his wife and his children. It’s not about the role he has here — it’s about the risk he and his family face, and he cannot simply stop being the son of the King.”
Before Harry returned to the UK for his most recent visit in July, ITV News reported that he was the subject of six terrorist plots, five of which had their origins in the UK. Information about the threats came from a report commissioned by the company that provided Harry’s private security while he was in the US, and was submitted to RAVEC.
Review and response
The threats from al-Qaeda have also been linked to revelations in Harry’s memoir, Spare. The terrorist organisation reportedly called for his death after the duke disclosed that he had killed 25 Taliban fighters during his military service in Afghanistan.
The Home Office has ordered a further review of the risks facing the family. However, people close to Harry say he has become increasingly concerned about whether RAVEC can make an impartial assessment of his security requirements.
The Home Office said: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
Prince Harry’s security in the UK is reportedly under a new review by the Home Office following his return to Britain. The Duke of Sussex brought his family back to the UK on Thursday for an “extended” stay that could last from a few months to a few years. Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet flew into the country on a private plane from California shortly before midday on Wednesday, landing at Birmingham Airport.
Harry and Meghan lost their right to automatic, taxpayer-funded, round-the-clock police security in February 2020 after stepping down as senior working royals. Harry lost a legal battle against the Home Office over the security arrangements for him and his family while in the UK earlier this year.
