Prince Harry security row erupts on live TV as caller fumes
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's UK visit has reignited a debate over who is paying for their security, and members of the public believing the Royal Family should "foot the bill privately". The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to take their son, Prince Archie, and daughter, Princess Lilibet, to the UK as Harry is set to attend the one-year countdown event to the Invictus Games 2027.
However, there's a chance that Harry might come to the UK on his own, as The Sun revealed that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) has turned down requests for protection just a week before the family is due to arrive. Discussing the issue on the Jeremy Vine show, viewers called in to express their views to hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Mike Parry.
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Carol, from Kent, told Charlotte that the taxpayers shouldn't be paying for Harry and Meghan's security, but King Charles. She said: "They made the decision to leave. His [Prince Harry's] grandmother said, 'You couldn't be half in and half out'. He made that decision; we should not be footing the bill for it. If he wants to bring his children to see his grandparents, then I think the Royal Family should actually foot the bill privately.
"I don't think, as a taxpayer, we should be paying that. [Because] once the government steps in and says we will foot the bill this time. But then it opens the precedent that we will be doing that for the rest of their lives, and I don't agree with it."
Another viewer, Jean, from South Lanarkshire, said: "I don't think the taxpayers need to pay for it. I think the King is rich, one of the richest people in the world. And if he wants to see the children before he dies, he should pay for it."
Channel 5 broadcaster and GB News panellist Mike Parry, however, felt Prince Harry should pay for the security service himself. He explained: "You say the King should pay for it, shouldn't Harry pay for it? He seems to have made millions and millions of dollars by going over and telling terrible stories about the Royal Family. Why doesn't he pay for it?"
The viewer disagreed and said Prince Harry "doesn't have to" because "if the King wants to see the children, he could help them".
Mike then replied: "Sorry, to make it clear, he [Prince Harry] wants the use of Scotland Yard's top security team to protect his family. Sorry and nobody can go to Scotland Yard and say, 'We're going to hire you for the day'. It's ridiculous."
A source told The Sun: "Harry is reassessing things. Ultimately, he is going to do everything he can to find a way to bring them over safely."
Harry and Meghan's team said the couple had already accepted an offer to stay on a royal estate during the trip as a guest of King Charles. But on Friday, Harry's team was told no police protection would be provided for the family.
A government spokesman said its protective security system was "rigorous and proportionate".
"It is our longstanding policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security," the spokesman added.