Prince Harry's representatives reportedly gave the Home Office's RAVEC security committee less than two weeks' notice of the family's plans to move back to the UK. The standard 28 days' advance notice was not provided for the broader relocation plans, which include Meghan Markle and their children, Archie and Lilibet, starting school in Britain.
What is RAVEC?
RAVEC, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, is an independent British government body under the Home Office. It determines taxpayer-funded police protection and security arrangements for members of the Royal Family and high-profile public figures in the UK.
RAVEC was informed that the Duke intended to spend a prolonged period in Britain for a series of engagements. The committee was notified of the family's complete relocation plans as soon as was deemed "practicably possible", following worries about potential leaks, the late confirmation of the children's school places and Harry's desire to inform his father first, according to The Telegraph.
Timeline of the move
It is believed that Harry and Meghan informed King Charles of their planned return to the UK on August 16. The Sussexes touched down at Birmingham Airport on Wednesday, reportedly travelling on a Bombardier Global Express XRS luxury long-range business jet for the overnight flight.
The family is understood to be relocating to the UK for an "extended period", with rumours suggesting they have set up home in the Cotswolds, reports the Express.
Security arrangements
Visitors who don't have automatic full-time protection, including Prince Harry, are typically required to give RAVEC 28 days' notice before travelling to the UK so the committee can evaluate specific security needs on a case-by-case basis.
RAVEC withdrew Prince Harry's fully taxpayer-funded protective security in 2020 after he and Meghan stepped back from their roles as working members of the Royal Family and relocated to the United States. This change came into effect on March 31 of the same year, meaning any security support for Harry during UK visits would require advance notice and would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
A source close to the Sussexes downplayed the importance of exact timescales to The Telegraph, stating that the committee had been "kicking the can down the road for the last seven years". "We have always adhered to the rules they set, even as the goalposts have moved along the way," they said. "Playing by those rules has never made any difference."
The source alleged that RAVEC has only ever sought to preserve the existing arrangements, claiming that "geography was the backbone" of the committee's reasoning for removing security in 2020, with Harry and Meghan's choice not to reside in the UK being "treated as a significant factor". The circumstances have now changed and the "sensible thing" ought to be implemented, the source indicated, which is to "protect the King's son and grandchildren".
Harry's protection in the UK is currently under fresh examination by the Home Office following his return to Britain, reports have suggested. Last year, he was defeated in a court case against the Government regarding the security provisions for him and his family while in the UK. Harry had been seeking to reverse the ruling that had reduced his protection after he stopped being a working royal and relocated overseas about six years ago.
