(Photo: Chris Radburn/File Photo/REUTERS)
Stalkers often follow the royal family, but things get worse ever since Prince Harry and Meghan got married and Prince Andrew gave a controversial interview about Jeffrey Epstein. The police are keeping their eye on 112 "red alert stalkers" after the number of people following the members of the monarchy almost doubled.
According to the London Metropolitan Police, there is a huge increase of interest in the royal family after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit. Also, the revelations about Prince Andrew's connection to the criminal sex offender Jeffrey Epstein adds fuel to the fire.
Since last year, there are four names added on the category of "high concern," turning the total number to nine, Daily Mail reported. Security experts believe the rise is ignited by the "disregard" in the royal family due to the Duke of York's friendship with the late American financier.
Security expert Richard Aitch, who is a project director at Mobius International, also added that the increase of royal stalkers are also fueled by anger when the Duchess of Sussex joined the royal family. He revealed that many of these stalkers could be described as "cranks and nutters." However, although the risks these stalkers bring need to be considered, Aitch said they pose lesser importance compared to the threats that come from terrorism.
When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, the number of royal family's stalkers grew due to various reasons. Their decision to step down as senior royals and move to Canada was also a major "influencing factor" on the increasing figures.
Also, Aitch explained that Prince Andrew's controversial and highly criticized BBC interview also resulted in an increase in disregard for the royal family, which comes with "dangerous ramifications." The Fixed Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) are monitoring 122 people on its current list and categorizing their risk potential, The Express noted.
Since last year, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and other members of the royal family have been facing increasing numbers of stalkers, and fears over their safety are incredibly rising. After the Sussexes face heavy mass media scrutiny, the figures dramatically increase, and it comes to its highest peak.
In total, the royal family has made 160 stalker referrals. At the time, it was a 25 percent increase after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 royal wedding.
FTAC categorized five stalkers as "high concern." It also identified the other 82 stalkers are of "moderate concern," while 73 of them are of "low concern." Experts are now concerned about the lack of intelligence to protect all the members of the royal family effectively.
