The problem isn't paying for protection, the problem is that Harry wants the level of protection that only the Metropolitan Police can offer and they aren't for hire. Not for second and fifth rank royals, not for the King. Even if Charles wanted to pay for the level of protection his pampered 40-year-old baby wants, he can't buy the Met Police. The decision is with RAVEC and they made their decision. Charles and the late Queen wanted the spoiled babies to keep the protection but RAVEC said no.
On a personal level, it is a sad situation for Charles and the Sussex children to not have a relationship. But even if Charles is willing to pay for security, Harry and Meghan would not have armed guards in the UK or have access to government intelligence. Charles is not an absolute monarch and he can't circumvent the laws of the country. Now if the Sussex family were to visit and stay at a royal residence, they would have the security that is already given to Crown property, and they would have that right now with no court cases or legal agreements.
If the children were to come visit, there would need to be legal arrangements about privacy and I'm not sure the Sussexes would respect that. They have a habit of flouting the rules.
Then there is the fact that Harry and Meghan have hurt not only Charles, but also Charles' wife, his other son, his daughter-in-law, and his other grandchildren. Not to mention they have tried to damage the monarchy itself with their misleading statements and accusations. Harry and Meghan are not trust-worthy and as long as their children are minors, H and M will be a part of the deal. The family may feel that while it is heartbreaking, it's not possible to make an agreement with H and M.
Personally it's all very sad, but I don't think Charles is jeopardizing his reign by not having contact with H and M. The majority in the UK support the monarchy and dislike the Sussexes. William and Catherine are quite popular. I don't think they will need to reach out to H and M either. They just need to keep on with what they're doing.
Armed protection isn't good enough for Harry. He wants the access to information only the Met Police and its counterparts in other countries are privy to. This can't be shared with paid security just because.
Harry doesn't want real protection. He said what his problem was even in his last court case - he felt he was being treated as someone inferior. IOW, he wants what Charles and William have. He isn't going to get it. And if they had stayed, in some ten or fifteen years they would have been screeching again because they would have been treated like the late Queen's younger children - state security only when working. They would have cried that they were being made to feel inferior. They don't want to understand that they are and that a joint monarchy isn't a thing.
A brilliant comment. All I can add is "May he defend our laws". That's part of the national anthem. Charles isn't above the law, for all Harry thinks they live in a hybrid of absolute monarchy and a fairytale where everyone hates the brilliant, pure prince and princess - him and MM.
Absolutely agree Kristen. While Charles might be more softhearted--something I really am not sure of anyway--I don't think the rest of the family would be rushing to wherever Harry and family are visiting. So what would Meghan and the kids do since King Charles rarely takes a day off to relax. We see photos of him with William's children but I don't get the sense he spends an entire day romping around with them.
Charles Spencer offered Althorp to Harry & family and Harry hasn't taken that offer up.
I don't think the British people would be angry with Charles if he had the Sussex family over, I think most people who are grandparents would be okay with it. And younger people really don't care for the most part, I get the feeling the whole Sussex drama only occupies Royalists and the media.
I am more intrigued that King Charles is off to Canada in a couple of weeks' time for the opening of the Canadian Parliament. That is super short notice so I don't think it will be an actual "tour" but wow that was a surprise announcement yesterday.
Or mention in his book that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan? Which was clearly included in the book to create a furor which could then be used to bolster the claims in his original lawsuit.
Jane you always write with incredible clarity and I missed you before I figured out to get back to your site. Thank you for resuming your assessments of the BRF.
Hope by now Jane you have enjoyed your lovely breakfast :) Thank you so much for your detailed description of Harry's interview. I haven't watched the whole thing but have read and watched snippets.
The first question I had was why had he arranged the BBC interview? He hasn't talked to the Beeb since his interview re Spare, has he? He's given quick on the pavement interviews after his other court cases but why now and why this one. The first reaction that came down after the ruling was that Harry was disappointed but wasn't going to take it further. Turns out that, as with everything with the Sussexes, that really wasn't true. So, why the interview? This is my theory:
It seems like he doesn't know what Charles' health situation actually is. No one is talking to him. I have wondered myself about Charles' continued cancer treatment. I'm not a doomsayer but being in my 70s and with all my friends in their 70s and 80s, we face a lot of issues and are aware we aren't immortal and we may not even live as long as our grandparents and parents did. Modern illnesses.
Harry isn't privy to any family discussions or planning for "after" but he has got to be aware that when Charles dies and William becomes King, it's going to be a very different monarchy. One that he will have no chance of returning to. No chance of doing any of the things that he had hoped he might do when he and Meghan were discussing half in/half out. And interviews with the BBC, with anyone really, about the RF will be finished. He will have nothing to offer.
If I were William, once I became King I would work with Parliament to change succession rules and make it so that Harry is out of the line of succession. And that will be the last domino to fall. William is pragmatic and singleminded. His own family comes first and he is not going to welcome back into the fold people he can't trust to have his and their backs.
So, back to the BBC interview, I think this is Harry's last desperate plea to remind his father, the UK public, just who he is. Son of a king, still in the line of succession, still important. Trying to get "safe" before William cuts him out permanently. He made veiled references to a "someone"--sure as heck that's William. And, as so much of what Harry does, it backfired badly. He came across in the same way he did over everything he's done since his marriage to Meghan. Look at us, we're better than you are, you're the ones keeping us down, it's not fair and you owe us.
And if he's going to continue to cast William as the evil scheming Royal, that's really not going to work. By soldiering on, by showing his vulnerable side over Catherine's illness, by all the work he's doing in UK communities and worldwide with Earthshot, people just plain like William. And Catherine.
I haven't even commented on the security side. There are all kinds of world leaders who have a target on their backs through their actions or simply through being "leaders." There will always be some deranged person out there who will shoot someone for fame. And no security detail is perfect. Make yourself more of a target by being provocative, the chances go up. Why on earth does Harry bang on about it? In my books it only makes him more vulnerable, his family as well.
I have someone in my extended family whose wife is heiress to a huge fortune. And is actually famous in her own right because of what she does. But she doesn't call attention to being part of that family, doesn't seek publicity for what she does. Doesn't give interviews, keeps her address private. So does her husband. Even the family aren't really sure where they live. But they turn up for family stuff, they just arrange to do it privately. And it's been that way for 20 years. There are ways to do it. Even for a prince.
I agree he desperately wants to be back “in” before William becomes king. But what he’s doing to achieve that is publicly trying to manipulate his father using his kids. It’s his only bargaining chip, really. “I won’t bring them to the UK until we have the exact security I want”. He’s tried to litigate it and failed, so he’s resorting to emotional blackmail.
I think he’s actually a deeply paranoid person (can’t really blame him there but someone should have seen and addressed it long ago), as well as being overly convinced of his own importance (odd, given his preoccupation with being the “spare”). I think both of those traits are exploited and encouraged by his wife.
Yes, I forgot to mention the kids. Harry is incredibly stupid as well--"stupid" meaning "having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense." Harry was never known for either trait but he used to appear to be kind. That's been blown out of the water. It is NOT kind to go on Oprah when your grandfather is dying--and in that case, he knew that his grandfather was dying. It is NOT kind to absolutely trash your grandmother and the family in a Netflix series barely three months after your grandmother's death. And on and on. What did Harry think Charles would do after those two events? Say, "Oh wonderful Harry, thank you so much for all you have done for the family, for the monarchy, and from now on you can call the shots." Multiple nails in the coffin. BP's quick response yesterday--faster than Queen Elizabeth's response after the Oprah interview--that “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion" is far more definitive than "recollections may vary."
I suppose his next take will be an imagined influence of “some” members of his family over the UK courts as well. How else could he explain why it didn’t go his way? Certainly his family must be secretly pulling the strings.
RE: ... a Netflix series barely three months after your grandmother's death. ...
The series was filmed and the interviews conducted before the Queen's death in September, suggesting they may have intended for QE2 to learn of its contents while she was alive, which is even worse than showing it during a period of mourning her death.
"Again, Meghan thought their royal status was their own personal asset." This line does such an excellent job summarizing one of the roots of this whole problem. Fundamentally, Meghan does not understand a monarchy or how it works. So she believes she can take the title and do with it as she pleases, whether within, or apart from, the royal family. But that is not possible.
A lot of the rules are somewhat unspoken and very culturally British too, which I think is understandably confusing. But yes. She fundamentally doesn’t understand the ancient relationship of trust and protection between the monarch and the people (which has of course evolved but is still there) and why celebrity-style personal activism and “brand-building”cannot exist in the monarchal structure.
For Meghan to "Not understand the ancient relationship of TRUST and PROTECTION between the monarch and the people" is an accurate, massive understatement. Trust and protection are missing in Meghan's toolbox. I have a small amount of sympathy for Harry since he seems to be unraveling right before our eyes...by small, I mean minuscule, since his troubles are all self-inflicted. These two people have absolutely no self-awareness at all....it's mind-boggling to actually be able to observe their self-destructive behavior in real time....over and over again...year after year.
She did not and does not understand that the attention and adulation she received while a working royal was due to her being a working royal. It had nothing to do to with her personally. Had she not married Harry, she would currently be someone who used to be on a tv show.
This! It reminds me of how Meghan told Oprah that she was so happy to be free to finally do an interview with her. Even though the only reason Oprah wanted to interview Meghan back in 2018 was because she was marrying into the royal family. Meghan’s obtuseness is breathtaking. She keeps thinking that the royals were holding her back, when it was her marrying royalty that was the only reason anyone paid attention to her. Also, Meghan was mad how the first Vanity Fair article focused on her dating Harry. That was the only reason they did an interview with her. The word narcissist gets thrown around a lot these days, but it fits Meghan to a T.
This is also why I think her personal projects aren’t really scaling up to her level of fame - that level of fame is based on something outside her creative skill set.
They love comparing her to Diana but they fail to realize that the first time and only reason the world heard of Diana was when her relationship with Charles progressed. For all her charisma, she would have made it to a few magazines about aristocracy gossip at most without Charles. Not even fashion magazines because prior to her engagement she didn't have much of a taste. Later, she benefitted from professional assistance available to royals. If Diana needed to hitch up with a prince to be noticed, what were MM's chances?
Harry wasn't much of a student and also wasn't given the lessons that William was. Not only because he was second in line but also (probably) because his family realized it wouldn't sink in. I also think there are parts to the monarchy that, unless you're a constitutional scholar, we don't understand either. I imagine there were plenty of conversations between the late Queen and William about what he would be able to do/not do and now between Charles and William. We only see a part of what it takes to be a constitutional monarch. And, since we don't live it every day, we don't remember it either. Even yesterday I had to go back and look up what the relationship is between the monarch and the gov't vis a vis titles and "advising."
Sounds like a trivia challenge :D :D What question do you think you could answer better than Harry can? Not being snippy, I think it's a genuinely fun question.
I'm also an American, and because of Harry's complaints over the last few years, I have learned a lot about how the monarch operates. I don't get the feeling that the same can be said for Harry. I don't know if he's just stubborn or genuinely believes he's entitled to whatever he wants and will get it if he pushes hard enough.
It’s deeply disturbing to watch Harry come apart at the seams again in the public eye. He’s laying bare his obvious desire to reconnect with his family—without what looks like the slightest bit of hope since he’s still trashing them—in contrast with Meghan blathering on in podcasts about how perfect their life is. Disturbing and a sad situation for their children.
I think he very much would like to go back to a life of working solely on behalf of charities, *representing something larger than himself* (this is where he and Meghan split, in my opinion) and otherwise enjoying his pastimes. The problem that they (or at least he) are discovering is that if you need to make your own money to have this lifestyle, there will always be conflicts of interest.
Harry and Meghan want all the trappings of a royal lifestyle, with responsibilities that they pick and choose. It’s despicable and entitled behavior, no matter how much they try to couch it in a desire to “do good.“
It was a rude awakening for the both of them when they realized that they didn’t possess the level of charm and charisma—and certainly not talent—that would enable them to finance this existence.
Now, Harry is beginning to sound truly disturbed and there is no help for him in sight. There is such an unsettling disconnect between his state of mind and Meghan’s continuing mindless rhetoric about how content they are, even as she continues to cling to her self-absorbed victim narrative, which is what started all of this.
It also sounds like he doesn't understand that he has very few charities to go back to working with - when he talks about wanting to continue his charitable work, it gives no indication that he understands that he doesn't have much of it left. And he's been so openly hostile and divisive, I'm not sure any organization would want him as a patron (assuming he had a snowball's chance of the royal family taking him back)!
I think he is *just* beginning to understand and try to accept what the rest of his life is going to be. I think focusing on his role as a dad is probably his best bet for stability and happiness.
The danger in focusing on that is with someone as controlling as Meghan is, I have a hard time envisioning that he's even given much of a role with parenting either. A family friend was controlling like that, and she corrected her husband's every move once they had a child (in public and private - it was exhausting to witness). I would guess that is another factor in Harry's desperation to be back in the royal fold - he's insignificant in literally every aspect of his life now.
Jane, there are various government ministers that will receive lifetime protection. We have had politicians seriously attacked, injured and assassinated in recent history due to positions they have held (mainly due to Northern Ireland) It is not “vanity protection” that they have the protection they do.
I agree about the attacks. The thing is when you decide to become a public figure--or are born into it--you accept those risks or you give up your title and disappear. There are ways to become more low-key. I honestly felt that M & H moving to California was the best thing for a couple who didn't want to serve the UK. They could have been part of the luxurious kind of community that Meghan at least craves. Not so sure about what Harry wanted, I don't think he knew either.
Service may be universal but you can only expect the country or organization you're actually serving in to pay for your protection while you remain the public face of that organization. Once you leave, you can choose to leave the public sphere and retire to somewhere quiet. From the way I see it, while there are examples of public figures who continued to be at risk after they left, there are far more who have left the public sphere and a few years later no one remembers them. I could be wrong but it's just the way I see it :)
Okay I hate that I am typing this but Harry presents as inconsistent and unstable. Paranoid and unhinged, actually. He does not appear to be mentally healthy. It’s a little frightening. I have a mutual friend that had similar behavior…and this worries me. Like Meghan is dramatic and performative and delusional in her own right but he…comes off like someone who clearly needs help.
What kills me is that he probably has an army of therapists, but either they are only telling him what he wants to hear, or he's not listening to them. The thing about mental healthcare (from someone who's been receiving some form or another for over 20 years now), is that you only get as much out of it as you put in. If you are not prepared to confront your own destructive patterns of thought and behavior, then you will never be able to get out of your rut and develop new, healthier ways of engaging with others and the world.
But people like Harry, who blame everyone else for their problems and think that everything bad that has ever happened or will continue to happen to them is someone else's fault, do not want to hear from their therapist (or anyone else) that they have a hand in their own misery. They refuse to do the work required to heal and grow as a person. And unfortunately there is a growing movement of shallow, "feel your feelings, they're not wrong" social media driven pop-psychology focused on victimhood and self-indulgence that people like Harry and Meghan lap up, because it means they can continue feeling aggrieved without having to examine their own behavior or how it effects others.
The people I really feel sorry for are their kids. I have a close family member with depression who refuses to take medication and keeps firing therapists because "they just tell me it's all my fault." She blames others for her being miserable and lashes out at those she perceives to be at fault, including her spouse and child. After trying many times, the rest of the family have had to accept that she cannot be helped and moreover doesn't *want* to be helped, and have limited contact with her accordingly. Sometimes that's all you can do. I will not be surprised if, 20-30 years from now, Archie and Lili have estranged themselves from their parents as Harry has done with his family.
You’re so right. I’ve heard this from frustrated therapists as well. The pop-psychology trends are really doing a disservice to mental health. The needle is getting stuck at validation for any and all feelings without any real assistance in learning how to move past them into a healthier mindset.
Such a good post literarylottie! One of the reasons I follow, am interested in some celebrities is because they remind me of things that I or members of my family have struggled with, am still struggling with. Like depression. Like cancer. Like family dynamics. And so on. I find it so helpful to have this kind of forum as well where we can talk out how we are reacting and read someone else's post that might give us a new perspective not only on the Royals but sometimes even ourselves. I feel there are so many kindred spirits on Jane's blog, it's like meeting up with friends :)
This is an excellent comment! Everyone here has shared many of the same thoughts as me so I won't repeat them.
I am a therapist and see this in my work all the time. I certainly know it is a hard place to be as a client when this kind of thing is noted. But I tell all my clients that part of my job is to hold up a mirror to them and let them know what I see. They can do with those discoveries as they choose, but that is the key point- they can choose. Many choose to do the work. Some do not. I am confident H could change with a solid therapist, but only if he wants to. And it's clear he doesn't. He has married himself to this narrative and is prepared to die on that hill. I wish for him and his entire family that was not the case.
I think that Harry's real goal was IPP status for Meghan and himself. If the court case had been in his favor, then I think he would have used that as evidence in arguing for that IPP status. I don't think his hopes were realistic, but I do think it was his ultimate goal. He wants his family to have government level security wherever they are, and for it to be funded by taxpayers which would save the Sussexes a great amount of money.
Harry is highly concerned about his family's security, with some genuine reason. The Sussexes are controversial, high-profile figures and there are some dangerous people in the world. But Harry also seems irrational and unable to differentiate between levels of "threat"-photographers snapping pictures as they go shopping is not the same thing as true danger. Also, the Sussexes don't always seem to use good judgment, as Harry not realizing that casually talking about a kill count during the Afghanistan war could well be placing his family in more jeopardy.
But also, I do think the Sussexes are concerned about finances. As has been discussed many times over, they are wealthy but they also live a very expensive lifestyle. The cost for private security is a big chunk of money. We know that they (or Harry at least) wants IPP status. I think he believes the family needs the highest level of security for safety, but I also think he is desperately wanting to get that expense off the budget and I think he would have tried to use a UK court victory as a step in arguing for taxpayer funded security everywhere. I do not think Harry would have been successful, but I do think it was in his mind. So this loss is a double blow and he is especially upset by it.
Let's not forget that back in 2020, the late Queen and Charles did support RAVEC security continuing for the Sussexes. They encouraged continued government security for Harry and family. But it was one of the times when the government told them no. Harry completely ignores that. He also makes it sound as if he and his family would have no security at all in the UK which has never been the case. It has always been that RAVEC would assess any threats and would provide security that is appropriate. But Harry seems to feel that that is not good enough.
Correct me if I am wrong but it seems he (if I am reading his context correctly) does not actually blame RAVEC for that decision, but his own family. His insinuations - barring outright accusation - are that his own family was secretly conspiring to leave him defenseless by telling RAVEC to tell him no. That’s a big reach, and I doubt the validity of it because he doesn’t use specifics. But that seems to be the implication.
Yes, that is how I interpreted it too. And that belief is completely false. Of course saying that Archie wouldn't receive titles or security because of race was also completely false. The Sussexes are either clueless about how the monarchy works or they do not care about being factual. In any case, Harry seems to have great anger and jealousy towards his birth family and wants to blame them (Charles and William specifically) for everything that he thinks is wrong in his life.
You're right E.B., he is blaming the "Royal Household", saying it was their presence on RAVEC that swung the ruling against him. Shows how much he hates his own family. He really needs more therapy.
Except that he has apparently had years of therapy already and it hasn't seemed to do any good. The best therapist in the world can't help Harry if he doesn't want to be helped.
Having a sister who has had years of therapy and fancies herself the most healed person in our family (while actually being the most malignant), therapy just gives some people power. They begin to use that knowledge to try and control everyone else’s behavior…all the while failing to recognize the source of the problems and rifts are, in fact, themselves. They behave in absolutely unhinged ways and then hyper-focus on the reaction to their behavior.
Excellent summary. Indeed, Harry said in the interview that Ravec declining 24/7 UK police “was a signal to other governments to not provide us with security.” Meaning lost IPP status.
I agree that this is all about the IPP status. Having that status would as you point out, entitle him to government paid security, no matter where he is in the world. This was a huge blow to them when they realized that they would not carry that status after leaving the Royal family. He doesn’t want to concede that the government may choose to offer him the top level of security when he comes if he gives 28 days notice. I don’t believe he’s even tried to use what they are offering because of how it could hurt his court case. But it is entirely possible that upon review they would give him the security he wants. But it’s clear he doesn’t want to have to go through all of that because he doesn’t trust the people that are on the committee and feels he’s entitled to have it based on who he is.
Love this post! Harry seems to be unwell. I think he realized a long time ago that he had made a huge mistake. He has nothing without his royal life. This interview did him no favors. He came off spoiled and to not seem to realize that when you leave a job, you stop getting the perks. I can understand why Meghan wouldn’t know much about royal work and that all the principals serve the monarch, but Harry should know better and should have put his foot down.
One thing I took away from the interview is how unhappy Harry appears to be. He sounds almost broken. What a stark contrast to Meghan who seems to keep needing to remind people how happy and joyful she is. Meghan got the life and fame she wanted but it's obvious Harry is lost without his previous life. Another thing I took away is that Harry knows his relationship with William and Kate is over. The 'someone' he's referring to and he knows 'there are those who won't forgive him' is obviously William and by extension Kate. I think Harry and Meghan are worried about Williams plans when he becomes King and this is Harry's way of pleading his case to the public and reminding them he is Diana's son. There have been rumblings for months from reputed royal reporters about this and the fact that many of them have stressed that this is coming from inside the palace leads me to believe there is some truth to it. Time will tell. Can't wait for part two. As always enjoyed your analysis.
I don’t think Meghan is happy either, even if she did get, at least on the surface, a lot of what she wanted. She’s still trying too hard to convince people of it for it to be genuine.
Well, at least one thing I can say about Meghan vis a vis her former friends. She may ghost them but she doesn’t talk trash about them. Maybe because they know where the bodies are hidden. I get the feeling that she shares too much with friends in order to win their friendship. It’s what narcissists often do, they tell people things they really oughtn’t to. Hence why I think people feel the need to “protect” her when they first encounter her. I believe she charmed Charles and perhaps even Queen Elizabeth at first. But not everyone. She seems vulnerable, open and honest. But, really, it’s just part of the storytelling. She creates stories and narratives, shifting them as it suits. When people realize that it was all just a story they are surprised, a bit embarrassed at being duped. So they don’t clap back, just move on. (Yes, I am speaking from personal experience with someone like that.)
From the time of the Tom Bradby led broadcast where Meghan said, "Thank you for asking if I am okay since no one else has....," I have been ASTONISHED by H & M's complete lack of understanding of how family dynamics work. What did M mean when she said "no one else has?" Obviously, she meant the royals (W, K, Charles and Camilla) since, otherwise, that would have meant that her mother and her own friends and family were not kind or attentive to her needs. A public statement/criticism of that kind does not build bridges between family members or lead those family members to reach out more. And, since then, H & M have been unrelenting in their criticism of William and Kate even if it has been somewhat veiled (anyone who is following this saga know who they mean when they cast these aspersions). What an insane strategy to use if you really want reconciliation. But they don't. They are so delusional that they think that they can get what they want by courting public opinion. That hasn't worked for them. Also, I was absolutely shocked when Harry said that the King could die soon! What a horrible thing to say publicly about one's father, especially the Monarch, when the Palace has been trying to paint Charles as recovering from cancer and able to perform his many duties. The Palace's public relations effort is necessary to enable the King to achieve what he wants to during his necessarily shorter reign than his mother's. I feel very bad for the King over this. He waited so long for the power that comes with being the Monarch and, in my mind, still could accomplish many laudatory things but he does need some political capital and that diminishes when people think he isn't going to be around long.
Further on from my previous comment - Harry does receive police protection - he only has to give 28/30 days notice. When he is at events with the BRF he is covered under the all-encompassing level of security that covers the BRF. We also saw how protection swung into place at short order when attending the funerals of Prince Philip and QEII. What he wants is all the outriders with whistles controlling the traffic, traffic lights on pause as he sails through the streets waving to the public. The Wessexes, Anne, the Gloucesters and Kents only receive protection when on duty. As for being in danger what person with any brain thought it was a good idea to discuss the “kills” he’d been responsible for in Afghanistan? He has no more sense than he was born with.
Hopefully, this decision will put paid to him visiting the UK in future.
I am pleased with this court ruling although it should never have come to this. Harry should have sat down with proper people and listened to them which would have saved him millions and the time and trouble of our judges who really have better things on which to pontificate. I hoped this would be the end of it and up popped Harry moaning away to the BBC (to whom he didn’t want to talk for years). I simply think the British tax payer should not fund any costs for someone who does not work on our behalf. Harry chose to leave his role and country entirely for his own reasons and we wish him well but it’s not for the rest of us to fund him now. He can live an entirely safe and low key life with his family and pretending the UK is dangerous for them all is just ridiculous. I think they’d be perfectly safe in one of his dad’s castles, even safer than on the streets of Nigeria, Colombia or Ukraine perhaps.
Is he that stupid or that manipulative? Like I legit wonder if he hasn’t been bought as a compromised mark for a foreign government. Because he’s literally asking to be a treated as a diplomat with zero government oversight. He wants the countries where he travels and lives to be responsible for his travel, lodging, and safety as foreign agent with again zero fealty to alliances or government authority. And he wants his dad to overstep powers, that he doesn’t even have, to force the British the government to do this. He’s absolutely ridiculous!
He’s conflating his personal issues with his family and the professional government role he played. I’d be surprised if anyone ever talks to him ever again!
The problem isn't paying for protection, the problem is that Harry wants the level of protection that only the Metropolitan Police can offer and they aren't for hire. Not for second and fifth rank royals, not for the King. Even if Charles wanted to pay for the level of protection his pampered 40-year-old baby wants, he can't buy the Met Police. The decision is with RAVEC and they made their decision. Charles and the late Queen wanted the spoiled babies to keep the protection but RAVEC said no.
On a personal level, it is a sad situation for Charles and the Sussex children to not have a relationship. But even if Charles is willing to pay for security, Harry and Meghan would not have armed guards in the UK or have access to government intelligence. Charles is not an absolute monarch and he can't circumvent the laws of the country. Now if the Sussex family were to visit and stay at a royal residence, they would have the security that is already given to Crown property, and they would have that right now with no court cases or legal agreements.
If the children were to come visit, there would need to be legal arrangements about privacy and I'm not sure the Sussexes would respect that. They have a habit of flouting the rules.
Then there is the fact that Harry and Meghan have hurt not only Charles, but also Charles' wife, his other son, his daughter-in-law, and his other grandchildren. Not to mention they have tried to damage the monarchy itself with their misleading statements and accusations. Harry and Meghan are not trust-worthy and as long as their children are minors, H and M will be a part of the deal. The family may feel that while it is heartbreaking, it's not possible to make an agreement with H and M.
Personally it's all very sad, but I don't think Charles is jeopardizing his reign by not having contact with H and M. The majority in the UK support the monarchy and dislike the Sussexes. William and Catherine are quite popular. I don't think they will need to reach out to H and M either. They just need to keep on with what they're doing.
Armed protection isn't good enough for Harry. He wants the access to information only the Met Police and its counterparts in other countries are privy to. This can't be shared with paid security just because.
Harry doesn't want real protection. He said what his problem was even in his last court case - he felt he was being treated as someone inferior. IOW, he wants what Charles and William have. He isn't going to get it. And if they had stayed, in some ten or fifteen years they would have been screeching again because they would have been treated like the late Queen's younger children - state security only when working. They would have cried that they were being made to feel inferior. They don't want to understand that they are and that a joint monarchy isn't a thing.
A brilliant comment. All I can add is "May he defend our laws". That's part of the national anthem. Charles isn't above the law, for all Harry thinks they live in a hybrid of absolute monarchy and a fairytale where everyone hates the brilliant, pure prince and princess - him and MM.
Absolutely agree Kristen. While Charles might be more softhearted--something I really am not sure of anyway--I don't think the rest of the family would be rushing to wherever Harry and family are visiting. So what would Meghan and the kids do since King Charles rarely takes a day off to relax. We see photos of him with William's children but I don't get the sense he spends an entire day romping around with them.
Charles Spencer offered Althorp to Harry & family and Harry hasn't taken that offer up.
I don't think the British people would be angry with Charles if he had the Sussex family over, I think most people who are grandparents would be okay with it. And younger people really don't care for the most part, I get the feeling the whole Sussex drama only occupies Royalists and the media.
I am more intrigued that King Charles is off to Canada in a couple of weeks' time for the opening of the Canadian Parliament. That is super short notice so I don't think it will be an actual "tour" but wow that was a surprise announcement yesterday.
If he is so concerned about security, why would he visit the front lines of war torn Ukraine?
Or mention in his book that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan? Which was clearly included in the book to create a furor which could then be used to bolster the claims in his original lawsuit.
Jane you always write with incredible clarity and I missed you before I figured out to get back to your site. Thank you for resuming your assessments of the BRF.
Hope by now Jane you have enjoyed your lovely breakfast :) Thank you so much for your detailed description of Harry's interview. I haven't watched the whole thing but have read and watched snippets.
The first question I had was why had he arranged the BBC interview? He hasn't talked to the Beeb since his interview re Spare, has he? He's given quick on the pavement interviews after his other court cases but why now and why this one. The first reaction that came down after the ruling was that Harry was disappointed but wasn't going to take it further. Turns out that, as with everything with the Sussexes, that really wasn't true. So, why the interview? This is my theory:
It seems like he doesn't know what Charles' health situation actually is. No one is talking to him. I have wondered myself about Charles' continued cancer treatment. I'm not a doomsayer but being in my 70s and with all my friends in their 70s and 80s, we face a lot of issues and are aware we aren't immortal and we may not even live as long as our grandparents and parents did. Modern illnesses.
Harry isn't privy to any family discussions or planning for "after" but he has got to be aware that when Charles dies and William becomes King, it's going to be a very different monarchy. One that he will have no chance of returning to. No chance of doing any of the things that he had hoped he might do when he and Meghan were discussing half in/half out. And interviews with the BBC, with anyone really, about the RF will be finished. He will have nothing to offer.
If I were William, once I became King I would work with Parliament to change succession rules and make it so that Harry is out of the line of succession. And that will be the last domino to fall. William is pragmatic and singleminded. His own family comes first and he is not going to welcome back into the fold people he can't trust to have his and their backs.
So, back to the BBC interview, I think this is Harry's last desperate plea to remind his father, the UK public, just who he is. Son of a king, still in the line of succession, still important. Trying to get "safe" before William cuts him out permanently. He made veiled references to a "someone"--sure as heck that's William. And, as so much of what Harry does, it backfired badly. He came across in the same way he did over everything he's done since his marriage to Meghan. Look at us, we're better than you are, you're the ones keeping us down, it's not fair and you owe us.
And if he's going to continue to cast William as the evil scheming Royal, that's really not going to work. By soldiering on, by showing his vulnerable side over Catherine's illness, by all the work he's doing in UK communities and worldwide with Earthshot, people just plain like William. And Catherine.
I haven't even commented on the security side. There are all kinds of world leaders who have a target on their backs through their actions or simply through being "leaders." There will always be some deranged person out there who will shoot someone for fame. And no security detail is perfect. Make yourself more of a target by being provocative, the chances go up. Why on earth does Harry bang on about it? In my books it only makes him more vulnerable, his family as well.
I have someone in my extended family whose wife is heiress to a huge fortune. And is actually famous in her own right because of what she does. But she doesn't call attention to being part of that family, doesn't seek publicity for what she does. Doesn't give interviews, keeps her address private. So does her husband. Even the family aren't really sure where they live. But they turn up for family stuff, they just arrange to do it privately. And it's been that way for 20 years. There are ways to do it. Even for a prince.
I agree he desperately wants to be back “in” before William becomes king. But what he’s doing to achieve that is publicly trying to manipulate his father using his kids. It’s his only bargaining chip, really. “I won’t bring them to the UK until we have the exact security I want”. He’s tried to litigate it and failed, so he’s resorting to emotional blackmail.
I think he’s actually a deeply paranoid person (can’t really blame him there but someone should have seen and addressed it long ago), as well as being overly convinced of his own importance (odd, given his preoccupation with being the “spare”). I think both of those traits are exploited and encouraged by his wife.
Yes, I forgot to mention the kids. Harry is incredibly stupid as well--"stupid" meaning "having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense." Harry was never known for either trait but he used to appear to be kind. That's been blown out of the water. It is NOT kind to go on Oprah when your grandfather is dying--and in that case, he knew that his grandfather was dying. It is NOT kind to absolutely trash your grandmother and the family in a Netflix series barely three months after your grandmother's death. And on and on. What did Harry think Charles would do after those two events? Say, "Oh wonderful Harry, thank you so much for all you have done for the family, for the monarchy, and from now on you can call the shots." Multiple nails in the coffin. BP's quick response yesterday--faster than Queen Elizabeth's response after the Oprah interview--that “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion" is far more definitive than "recollections may vary."
I suppose his next take will be an imagined influence of “some” members of his family over the UK courts as well. How else could he explain why it didn’t go his way? Certainly his family must be secretly pulling the strings.
RE: ... a Netflix series barely three months after your grandmother's death. ...
The series was filmed and the interviews conducted before the Queen's death in September, suggesting they may have intended for QE2 to learn of its contents while she was alive, which is even worse than showing it during a period of mourning her death.
"Again, Meghan thought their royal status was their own personal asset." This line does such an excellent job summarizing one of the roots of this whole problem. Fundamentally, Meghan does not understand a monarchy or how it works. So she believes she can take the title and do with it as she pleases, whether within, or apart from, the royal family. But that is not possible.
A lot of the rules are somewhat unspoken and very culturally British too, which I think is understandably confusing. But yes. She fundamentally doesn’t understand the ancient relationship of trust and protection between the monarch and the people (which has of course evolved but is still there) and why celebrity-style personal activism and “brand-building”cannot exist in the monarchal structure.
For Meghan to "Not understand the ancient relationship of TRUST and PROTECTION between the monarch and the people" is an accurate, massive understatement. Trust and protection are missing in Meghan's toolbox. I have a small amount of sympathy for Harry since he seems to be unraveling right before our eyes...by small, I mean minuscule, since his troubles are all self-inflicted. These two people have absolutely no self-awareness at all....it's mind-boggling to actually be able to observe their self-destructive behavior in real time....over and over again...year after year.
She did not and does not understand that the attention and adulation she received while a working royal was due to her being a working royal. It had nothing to do to with her personally. Had she not married Harry, she would currently be someone who used to be on a tv show.
This! It reminds me of how Meghan told Oprah that she was so happy to be free to finally do an interview with her. Even though the only reason Oprah wanted to interview Meghan back in 2018 was because she was marrying into the royal family. Meghan’s obtuseness is breathtaking. She keeps thinking that the royals were holding her back, when it was her marrying royalty that was the only reason anyone paid attention to her. Also, Meghan was mad how the first Vanity Fair article focused on her dating Harry. That was the only reason they did an interview with her. The word narcissist gets thrown around a lot these days, but it fits Meghan to a T.
Exactly! Love the way that you put this!!
This is also why I think her personal projects aren’t really scaling up to her level of fame - that level of fame is based on something outside her creative skill set.
They love comparing her to Diana but they fail to realize that the first time and only reason the world heard of Diana was when her relationship with Charles progressed. For all her charisma, she would have made it to a few magazines about aristocracy gossip at most without Charles. Not even fashion magazines because prior to her engagement she didn't have much of a taste. Later, she benefitted from professional assistance available to royals. If Diana needed to hitch up with a prince to be noticed, what were MM's chances?
The amazing part is that Harry doesn't seem to understand how the monarchy works either!
He says as much in spare. It’s incredible
.
Harry wasn't much of a student and also wasn't given the lessons that William was. Not only because he was second in line but also (probably) because his family realized it wouldn't sink in. I also think there are parts to the monarchy that, unless you're a constitutional scholar, we don't understand either. I imagine there were plenty of conversations between the late Queen and William about what he would be able to do/not do and now between Charles and William. We only see a part of what it takes to be a constitutional monarch. And, since we don't live it every day, we don't remember it either. Even yesterday I had to go back and look up what the relationship is between the monarch and the gov't vis a vis titles and "advising."
Ok. I’m going to dissent here. I live in the us and I know more about the constitutional monarchy than harry.
Sounds like a trivia challenge :D :D What question do you think you could answer better than Harry can? Not being snippy, I think it's a genuinely fun question.
Haha. That would be a fun game and I think pretty easy. 😬😬
I'm also an American, and because of Harry's complaints over the last few years, I have learned a lot about how the monarch operates. I don't get the feeling that the same can be said for Harry. I don't know if he's just stubborn or genuinely believes he's entitled to whatever he wants and will get it if he pushes hard enough.
That still amazed me! I don't get what was his education but it seems like something is missing!
Harry seems to have no understanding either.
I think he does - or did - but she convinced him otherwise
It’s deeply disturbing to watch Harry come apart at the seams again in the public eye. He’s laying bare his obvious desire to reconnect with his family—without what looks like the slightest bit of hope since he’s still trashing them—in contrast with Meghan blathering on in podcasts about how perfect their life is. Disturbing and a sad situation for their children.
I think he very much would like to go back to a life of working solely on behalf of charities, *representing something larger than himself* (this is where he and Meghan split, in my opinion) and otherwise enjoying his pastimes. The problem that they (or at least he) are discovering is that if you need to make your own money to have this lifestyle, there will always be conflicts of interest.
Harry and Meghan want all the trappings of a royal lifestyle, with responsibilities that they pick and choose. It’s despicable and entitled behavior, no matter how much they try to couch it in a desire to “do good.“
It was a rude awakening for the both of them when they realized that they didn’t possess the level of charm and charisma—and certainly not talent—that would enable them to finance this existence.
Now, Harry is beginning to sound truly disturbed and there is no help for him in sight. There is such an unsettling disconnect between his state of mind and Meghan’s continuing mindless rhetoric about how content they are, even as she continues to cling to her self-absorbed victim narrative, which is what started all of this.
It also sounds like he doesn't understand that he has very few charities to go back to working with - when he talks about wanting to continue his charitable work, it gives no indication that he understands that he doesn't have much of it left. And he's been so openly hostile and divisive, I'm not sure any organization would want him as a patron (assuming he had a snowball's chance of the royal family taking him back)!
I think he is *just* beginning to understand and try to accept what the rest of his life is going to be. I think focusing on his role as a dad is probably his best bet for stability and happiness.
How ironic that he now should be relegated to nothing more than the support system for his “female” founder” wife.
The danger in focusing on that is with someone as controlling as Meghan is, I have a hard time envisioning that he's even given much of a role with parenting either. A family friend was controlling like that, and she corrected her husband's every move once they had a child (in public and private - it was exhausting to witness). I would guess that is another factor in Harry's desperation to be back in the royal fold - he's insignificant in literally every aspect of his life now.
Jane, there are various government ministers that will receive lifetime protection. We have had politicians seriously attacked, injured and assassinated in recent history due to positions they have held (mainly due to Northern Ireland) It is not “vanity protection” that they have the protection they do.
I agree about the attacks. The thing is when you decide to become a public figure--or are born into it--you accept those risks or you give up your title and disappear. There are ways to become more low-key. I honestly felt that M & H moving to California was the best thing for a couple who didn't want to serve the UK. They could have been part of the luxurious kind of community that Meghan at least craves. Not so sure about what Harry wanted, I don't think he knew either.
Service may be universal but you can only expect the country or organization you're actually serving in to pay for your protection while you remain the public face of that organization. Once you leave, you can choose to leave the public sphere and retire to somewhere quiet. From the way I see it, while there are examples of public figures who continued to be at risk after they left, there are far more who have left the public sphere and a few years later no one remembers them. I could be wrong but it's just the way I see it :)
Okay I hate that I am typing this but Harry presents as inconsistent and unstable. Paranoid and unhinged, actually. He does not appear to be mentally healthy. It’s a little frightening. I have a mutual friend that had similar behavior…and this worries me. Like Meghan is dramatic and performative and delusional in her own right but he…comes off like someone who clearly needs help.
What kills me is that he probably has an army of therapists, but either they are only telling him what he wants to hear, or he's not listening to them. The thing about mental healthcare (from someone who's been receiving some form or another for over 20 years now), is that you only get as much out of it as you put in. If you are not prepared to confront your own destructive patterns of thought and behavior, then you will never be able to get out of your rut and develop new, healthier ways of engaging with others and the world.
But people like Harry, who blame everyone else for their problems and think that everything bad that has ever happened or will continue to happen to them is someone else's fault, do not want to hear from their therapist (or anyone else) that they have a hand in their own misery. They refuse to do the work required to heal and grow as a person. And unfortunately there is a growing movement of shallow, "feel your feelings, they're not wrong" social media driven pop-psychology focused on victimhood and self-indulgence that people like Harry and Meghan lap up, because it means they can continue feeling aggrieved without having to examine their own behavior or how it effects others.
The people I really feel sorry for are their kids. I have a close family member with depression who refuses to take medication and keeps firing therapists because "they just tell me it's all my fault." She blames others for her being miserable and lashes out at those she perceives to be at fault, including her spouse and child. After trying many times, the rest of the family have had to accept that she cannot be helped and moreover doesn't *want* to be helped, and have limited contact with her accordingly. Sometimes that's all you can do. I will not be surprised if, 20-30 years from now, Archie and Lili have estranged themselves from their parents as Harry has done with his family.
You’re so right. I’ve heard this from frustrated therapists as well. The pop-psychology trends are really doing a disservice to mental health. The needle is getting stuck at validation for any and all feelings without any real assistance in learning how to move past them into a healthier mindset.
Such a good post literarylottie! One of the reasons I follow, am interested in some celebrities is because they remind me of things that I or members of my family have struggled with, am still struggling with. Like depression. Like cancer. Like family dynamics. And so on. I find it so helpful to have this kind of forum as well where we can talk out how we are reacting and read someone else's post that might give us a new perspective not only on the Royals but sometimes even ourselves. I feel there are so many kindred spirits on Jane's blog, it's like meeting up with friends :)
This is an excellent comment! Everyone here has shared many of the same thoughts as me so I won't repeat them.
I am a therapist and see this in my work all the time. I certainly know it is a hard place to be as a client when this kind of thing is noted. But I tell all my clients that part of my job is to hold up a mirror to them and let them know what I see. They can do with those discoveries as they choose, but that is the key point- they can choose. Many choose to do the work. Some do not. I am confident H could change with a solid therapist, but only if he wants to. And it's clear he doesn't. He has married himself to this narrative and is prepared to die on that hill. I wish for him and his entire family that was not the case.
I think that Harry's real goal was IPP status for Meghan and himself. If the court case had been in his favor, then I think he would have used that as evidence in arguing for that IPP status. I don't think his hopes were realistic, but I do think it was his ultimate goal. He wants his family to have government level security wherever they are, and for it to be funded by taxpayers which would save the Sussexes a great amount of money.
Harry is highly concerned about his family's security, with some genuine reason. The Sussexes are controversial, high-profile figures and there are some dangerous people in the world. But Harry also seems irrational and unable to differentiate between levels of "threat"-photographers snapping pictures as they go shopping is not the same thing as true danger. Also, the Sussexes don't always seem to use good judgment, as Harry not realizing that casually talking about a kill count during the Afghanistan war could well be placing his family in more jeopardy.
But also, I do think the Sussexes are concerned about finances. As has been discussed many times over, they are wealthy but they also live a very expensive lifestyle. The cost for private security is a big chunk of money. We know that they (or Harry at least) wants IPP status. I think he believes the family needs the highest level of security for safety, but I also think he is desperately wanting to get that expense off the budget and I think he would have tried to use a UK court victory as a step in arguing for taxpayer funded security everywhere. I do not think Harry would have been successful, but I do think it was in his mind. So this loss is a double blow and he is especially upset by it.
Let's not forget that back in 2020, the late Queen and Charles did support RAVEC security continuing for the Sussexes. They encouraged continued government security for Harry and family. But it was one of the times when the government told them no. Harry completely ignores that. He also makes it sound as if he and his family would have no security at all in the UK which has never been the case. It has always been that RAVEC would assess any threats and would provide security that is appropriate. But Harry seems to feel that that is not good enough.
Correct me if I am wrong but it seems he (if I am reading his context correctly) does not actually blame RAVEC for that decision, but his own family. His insinuations - barring outright accusation - are that his own family was secretly conspiring to leave him defenseless by telling RAVEC to tell him no. That’s a big reach, and I doubt the validity of it because he doesn’t use specifics. But that seems to be the implication.
Yes, that is how I interpreted it too. And that belief is completely false. Of course saying that Archie wouldn't receive titles or security because of race was also completely false. The Sussexes are either clueless about how the monarchy works or they do not care about being factual. In any case, Harry seems to have great anger and jealousy towards his birth family and wants to blame them (Charles and William specifically) for everything that he thinks is wrong in his life.
You're right E.B., he is blaming the "Royal Household", saying it was their presence on RAVEC that swung the ruling against him. Shows how much he hates his own family. He really needs more therapy.
Except that he has apparently had years of therapy already and it hasn't seemed to do any good. The best therapist in the world can't help Harry if he doesn't want to be helped.
Having a sister who has had years of therapy and fancies herself the most healed person in our family (while actually being the most malignant), therapy just gives some people power. They begin to use that knowledge to try and control everyone else’s behavior…all the while failing to recognize the source of the problems and rifts are, in fact, themselves. They behave in absolutely unhinged ways and then hyper-focus on the reaction to their behavior.
Excellent summary. Indeed, Harry said in the interview that Ravec declining 24/7 UK police “was a signal to other governments to not provide us with security.” Meaning lost IPP status.
I agree that this is all about the IPP status. Having that status would as you point out, entitle him to government paid security, no matter where he is in the world. This was a huge blow to them when they realized that they would not carry that status after leaving the Royal family. He doesn’t want to concede that the government may choose to offer him the top level of security when he comes if he gives 28 days notice. I don’t believe he’s even tried to use what they are offering because of how it could hurt his court case. But it is entirely possible that upon review they would give him the security he wants. But it’s clear he doesn’t want to have to go through all of that because he doesn’t trust the people that are on the committee and feels he’s entitled to have it based on who he is.
Love this post! Harry seems to be unwell. I think he realized a long time ago that he had made a huge mistake. He has nothing without his royal life. This interview did him no favors. He came off spoiled and to not seem to realize that when you leave a job, you stop getting the perks. I can understand why Meghan wouldn’t know much about royal work and that all the principals serve the monarch, but Harry should know better and should have put his foot down.
One thing I took away from the interview is how unhappy Harry appears to be. He sounds almost broken. What a stark contrast to Meghan who seems to keep needing to remind people how happy and joyful she is. Meghan got the life and fame she wanted but it's obvious Harry is lost without his previous life. Another thing I took away is that Harry knows his relationship with William and Kate is over. The 'someone' he's referring to and he knows 'there are those who won't forgive him' is obviously William and by extension Kate. I think Harry and Meghan are worried about Williams plans when he becomes King and this is Harry's way of pleading his case to the public and reminding them he is Diana's son. There have been rumblings for months from reputed royal reporters about this and the fact that many of them have stressed that this is coming from inside the palace leads me to believe there is some truth to it. Time will tell. Can't wait for part two. As always enjoyed your analysis.
I don’t think Meghan is happy either, even if she did get, at least on the surface, a lot of what she wanted. She’s still trying too hard to convince people of it for it to be genuine.
People who are happy don’t need to constantly tell the world how happy they are.
Or have friends pile on the praise. The way her friends praise her makes me think that they're worried that if they don't she'll sink into depression.
More likely that if they don’t praise her they might fall out of favor next.
Well, at least one thing I can say about Meghan vis a vis her former friends. She may ghost them but she doesn’t talk trash about them. Maybe because they know where the bodies are hidden. I get the feeling that she shares too much with friends in order to win their friendship. It’s what narcissists often do, they tell people things they really oughtn’t to. Hence why I think people feel the need to “protect” her when they first encounter her. I believe she charmed Charles and perhaps even Queen Elizabeth at first. But not everyone. She seems vulnerable, open and honest. But, really, it’s just part of the storytelling. She creates stories and narratives, shifting them as it suits. When people realize that it was all just a story they are surprised, a bit embarrassed at being duped. So they don’t clap back, just move on. (Yes, I am speaking from personal experience with someone like that.)
From the time of the Tom Bradby led broadcast where Meghan said, "Thank you for asking if I am okay since no one else has....," I have been ASTONISHED by H & M's complete lack of understanding of how family dynamics work. What did M mean when she said "no one else has?" Obviously, she meant the royals (W, K, Charles and Camilla) since, otherwise, that would have meant that her mother and her own friends and family were not kind or attentive to her needs. A public statement/criticism of that kind does not build bridges between family members or lead those family members to reach out more. And, since then, H & M have been unrelenting in their criticism of William and Kate even if it has been somewhat veiled (anyone who is following this saga know who they mean when they cast these aspersions). What an insane strategy to use if you really want reconciliation. But they don't. They are so delusional that they think that they can get what they want by courting public opinion. That hasn't worked for them. Also, I was absolutely shocked when Harry said that the King could die soon! What a horrible thing to say publicly about one's father, especially the Monarch, when the Palace has been trying to paint Charles as recovering from cancer and able to perform his many duties. The Palace's public relations effort is necessary to enable the King to achieve what he wants to during his necessarily shorter reign than his mother's. I feel very bad for the King over this. He waited so long for the power that comes with being the Monarch and, in my mind, still could accomplish many laudatory things but he does need some political capital and that diminishes when people think he isn't going to be around long.
Further on from my previous comment - Harry does receive police protection - he only has to give 28/30 days notice. When he is at events with the BRF he is covered under the all-encompassing level of security that covers the BRF. We also saw how protection swung into place at short order when attending the funerals of Prince Philip and QEII. What he wants is all the outriders with whistles controlling the traffic, traffic lights on pause as he sails through the streets waving to the public. The Wessexes, Anne, the Gloucesters and Kents only receive protection when on duty. As for being in danger what person with any brain thought it was a good idea to discuss the “kills” he’d been responsible for in Afghanistan? He has no more sense than he was born with.
Hopefully, this decision will put paid to him visiting the UK in future.
I think Harry long ago drank the Meghan Kool-Aid, not-so-lovingly sprinkled with edible (he hopes) flower petals.
🤣 excellent!
I am pleased with this court ruling although it should never have come to this. Harry should have sat down with proper people and listened to them which would have saved him millions and the time and trouble of our judges who really have better things on which to pontificate. I hoped this would be the end of it and up popped Harry moaning away to the BBC (to whom he didn’t want to talk for years). I simply think the British tax payer should not fund any costs for someone who does not work on our behalf. Harry chose to leave his role and country entirely for his own reasons and we wish him well but it’s not for the rest of us to fund him now. He can live an entirely safe and low key life with his family and pretending the UK is dangerous for them all is just ridiculous. I think they’d be perfectly safe in one of his dad’s castles, even safer than on the streets of Nigeria, Colombia or Ukraine perhaps.
Well said! It's telling they didn't take the kids along on their tours of Nigeria or Colombia. Heck they don't even take them to New York City.
Is he that stupid or that manipulative? Like I legit wonder if he hasn’t been bought as a compromised mark for a foreign government. Because he’s literally asking to be a treated as a diplomat with zero government oversight. He wants the countries where he travels and lives to be responsible for his travel, lodging, and safety as foreign agent with again zero fealty to alliances or government authority. And he wants his dad to overstep powers, that he doesn’t even have, to force the British the government to do this. He’s absolutely ridiculous!
He’s conflating his personal issues with his family and the professional government role he played. I’d be surprised if anyone ever talks to him ever again!
And don't forget he has the two tarnished patronages, Sentebale and African Parks.