If you’ve followed Prince Harry closely since he stepped down from his royal duties in 2020, then you know that protection has been a priority for the Duke of Sussex. After all, while he’s been able to find a quieter life in Montecito, California, alongside his wife Meghan Markle and their kids, he’s been adamant that he needs security protection in the UK if he were ever to come back and visit.
Since his and Markle’s exit from royal life, however, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) has declared that Harry and his family’s protection would be assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on the nature of each visit and the perceived threat.
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And, most recently, RAVEC announced it will not provide full-time police protection during the Sussexes’ upcoming trip to the UK this month, Vanity Fair reports. Harry and Markle were planning on taking their kids, Princess Lilibet, 5, and Prince Archie, 7, to the UK for the first time since their exit in 2020.
The news of RAVEC’s refusal hit hard for Harry. A source revealed he “was devastated and close to tears.”
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Prince Harry and King Charles III.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images.
“He had assumed that because he was bringing the kids, and the king had made a royal residence available to them, he would get what he has been pushing for all along—full-time police protection,” the source told the outlet. “That has not been the case.”
In fact, while King Charles III is reportedly thrilled to be welcoming his son and his estranged grandchildren back home, he’s intentionally not butting into RAVEC’s business.
“The king has made it clear that while he wants to see his estranged son and grandchildren, he will not intervene in security matters,” the source said.
Nonetheless, Harry is disheartened by the decision. “From speaking to people close to him, it’s clear he is stressed and very disappointed in RAVEC’s decision not to give his family the security he believes they need to have to be safe when they are traveling,” the source said.
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Among the services RAVEC could be refusing to do, for instance, is having a police motorcade for when they are traveling. After all, while the Sussexes will be at a safe and secure royal residence during their stay in London, their trip included traveling inside the UK beyond London too.
Speaking of, new insiders also dished on what royal residence the Sussexes will likely be staying in.
“Harry suggested that Buckingham Palace would possibly be more convenient,” a source told Us Weekly. “Final preparations are underway, but it’s not finalized just yet.”
There was another residence that the Sussexes were interested in too. “The top of their list would be to stay in Frogmore Cottage, where they used to live,” the insider revealed. The couple lived in the Cottage for almost a year before their exit to California.