Harry reportedly feared for his safety, saying he “risked assassination” to join Meghan at an event to “sustain her brand.”Fiona Leishman and Ambarish Awale Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
21:42, 16 Mar 2026
Prince Harry reportedly felt “abandoned” and feared for his safety before returning to the UK with Meghan Markle in September 2022(Image: Juancho Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Prince Harry reportedly complained of feeling “abandoned” just days before travelling back to the UK with Meghan Markle in September 2022, according to royal author Tom Bower. The Duke of Sussex is said to have expressed concerns about his safety, describing his trip as a decision to “risk assassination” in order to accompany his wife to an event intended to “sustain her brand”.
The couple returned to the UK two years after stepping back as senior working royals and relocating to California. During the visit, Meghan gave a speech at the One Young World charity conference, Mirror reported.
In an extract from Bower’s upcoming book, Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family, the journalist claims Harry was “stressed about their security” after being told that “the Home Office refused to provide armed protection in Manchester and London”.
Despite these warnings, Bower writes, Harry went ahead with the trip at Meghan’s insistence. “A whole rail carriage was reserved for the journey from London to Manchester,” he notes, highlighting the extraordinary security measures in place.
Bower says Harry was “stressed about their security” after learning the Home Office would not provide armed protection(Image: Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)
However, Harry reportedly still complained about the risks he faced “because of his proximity to the public”. Bower adds that Harry “clapped with what was now arguably his perma-scowl” as Meghan took to the stage to speak.
The book also details Harry’s return to the UK in September 2025, when he is said to have sought to present himself as “the smiling, generous royal serving the people”. To this end, he reportedly donated £1.1 million to Children in Need and, unusually for a royal, publicised the gift. Bower writes that some viewed the donation as a form of mitigation.
Harry’s “only gripe was the absence of police protection,” with Bower claiming he “once again urged the Home Secretary to reconsider”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have previously released statements strongly criticising Bower’s reporting.
A representative said: “Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation.
“This is someone who has publicly stated, ‘the monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,’ language that speaks for itself.
“He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met.
“Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him… in The – once respected – Times.”
Meanwhile Daily Record previously reported that, King Charles is reportedly considering the Sussexes’ upcoming travel plans, which are expected to include a trip to Australia described by some sources as a “faux royal tour”.
The Duke and Duchess stunned the world in January 2020 when they announced they were stepping back as senior working royals.
At the time, they said they wanted to achieve financial independence from the House of Windsor while continuing to support the late Queen Elizabeth and represent the Commonwealth.
Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family by Tom Bower will be available on March 26.