Prince Harry has revealed his deep concerns about the safety of his wife, Meghan Markle, and their family, suggesting that it may be too dangerous for the Duchess of Sussex to return to the United Kingdom. The Duke of Sussex, speaking in a recent interview for ITV's documentary Tabloids on Trial, expressed his fears that Meghan could be a target due to the couple's controversial departure from royal duties and the subsequent public and media scrutiny.
"It's still dangerous," Harry said, highlighting the potential threats that his family could face if they returned to the UK. "All it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read, and whether it's a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It's one of the reasons why I won't bring my wife back to this country."
These concerns have been a significant factor in the couple's decision to remain in California, where they live with their two children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, in a secluded estate in Montecito. According to sources close to the Sussexes, Meghan shares Harry's fears and prefers the safety and privacy their current residence offers.
"Meghan loves that Harry is so protective," an insider revealed, as reported by The Globe magazine. "She feels the U.K. is dangerous territory, not just for her, but for all of them because they get so much vitriol hurled at them over there."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have faced intense scrutiny and criticism from certain segments of the British public and media since their departure from royal duties in 2020. This ongoing hostility, according to the source, has led Meghan to avoid accompanying Harry on his occasional trips back to the UK.
"Harry and Meghan have been picked to pieces by great swaths of the British public, and there's no telling when this scenario will change, if ever," the source continued. "Meghan realized this long ago, which is why she doesn't come along on his trips."
In 2022, Neil Basu, the former head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police, confirmed that there were indeed credible threats to Meghan's life while she was living in the UK. "We had teams investigating it. People have been prosecuted for those threats," Basu said, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
The security concerns have played a significant role in Harry's decision to limit Meghan's visits to the UK. Despite Harry's repeated attempts to secure police protection for his family, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) downgraded their security status, a decision that Harry has been contesting in court. Earlier this year, High Court judge Peter Lane upheld the decision, rejecting Harry's offer to cover the costs of security himself.
"The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of RAVEC's own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with RAVEC's own written policy," a legal spokesperson for Harry stated.
Despite these concerns, Prince Harry remains committed to maintaining a connection with his homeland. He has made several trips back to the UK, including attending his father King Charles' coronation in May 2023. However, Meghan has been notably absent from many of these visits, with her last appearance in the UK occurring during Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022.
During the interview, Harry also touched upon the broader issues that have contributed to the rift between him and the royal family, particularly his ongoing legal battles against the British tabloids. Harry has been engaged in several lawsuits against media outlets, accusing them of unlawful information gathering and phone hacking. "I think that's certainly a central piece to it," Harry said, referring to the impact of these legal battles on his relationship with his family. "That's a hard question to answer because anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press."
He added that his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was supportive of his efforts to challenge the media. "We had many conversations before she passed, this is very much something she supported, she knew how much this meant to me," Harry said. "She is up there going, 'See this through to the end,' without question."
