David Blunkett Backs “Limited” Security for Harry and Meghan as UK Return Reopens Taxpayer Debate

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s planned return to Britain has revived one of the most contentious questions surrounding the Sussexes: what level of security should they receive in the UK — and who should pay for it?

Former home secretary David Blunkett has now entered the debate with what he describes as a potential middle ground. Rather than restoring the extensive protection Harry once received as a working royal, Blunkett believes the Duke and Duchess could temporarily receive a more limited security package, potentially involving one or two protection officers.

His intervention comes as Harry, 41, Meghan, 45, and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, prepare to establish themselves in Britain again after six years based primarily in the United States. The children are expected to begin school in the UK in September.

Blunkett proposes a security “middle ground”

Speaking to The Times, Blunkett outlined several levels of protection that can be provided to high-profile individuals.

At the highest end is a comprehensive operation involving multiple close-protection officers, additional vehicles and round-the-clock coverage. At the other end could be a security-trained driver.

Blunkett suggested that Harry and his family could initially fall somewhere between those two options, with one or two officers accompanying the person being protected.

He described that middle option as “perfectly reasonable” for the time being, suggesting the arrangement could later be reassessed according to the threat level.

Such an approach would stop short of simply restoring the security arrangements Harry enjoyed before he and Meghan stepped back as working members of the Royal Family in 2020.

It would instead recognise that, despite his changed royal status, Harry remains the King’s son and an internationally recognisable public figure whose circumstances are unusual.

The Sussexes’ return changes the security equation

Security has been one of the most persistent obstacles to Harry bringing his family back to Britain.

After Harry and Meghan ceased being working royals and moved to North America in 2020, they lost automatic access to the publicly funded police protection they had previously received.

Since then, arrangements for Harry’s visits have been assessed according to the circumstances rather than automatically providing the level of protection he once had.

Harry subsequently challenged the decision-making process through the courts but was unsuccessful.

The situation now looks different because the Sussex family is preparing to spend considerably more time in Britain.

Harry and Meghan are expected to live in a private, non-royal residence outside London, while Archie and Lilibet have reportedly been enrolled in British schools.

That potentially means regular journeys, school routines and a far more permanent public presence than the occasional UK visits Harry has made in recent years.

As a result, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as Ravec, faces a different set of circumstances from those that existed when the Sussexes were primarily living abroad.

Politicians divide over who should pay

Blunkett is not alone in arguing that the Sussex family’s security concerns deserve serious consideration.

Dame Emily Thornberry has said she wants reassurance that Harry and his family will be safe, pointing both to his position as the King’s son and his previous public service.

Former Home Office minister Mike Tapp has similarly argued that any decision should be based on a clear assessment of the actual threat.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also noted Harry’s unusually high public profile as the son of the sovereign.

But there is significant opposition to the idea that taxpayers should automatically pick up the bill.

Labour peer Lord Foulkes has argued that security is a private matter for Harry and Meghan, pointing to their personal wealth and questioning why the public should be expected to cover the expense.

That disagreement highlights the unusual position the Sussexes now occupy: they are no longer working royals, yet their public profile and Harry’s direct relationship to the monarch distinguish them from most private citizens.

Other non-working members of the wider Royal Family do not automatically receive permanent police protection.

Harry’s threat level remains an important factor

The debate is not simply theoretical.

ITV News reported in July that Harry had been the subject of six terrorist plots, five originating in the UK, according to a sensitive security report seen by the broadcaster.

That information adds another dimension to arguments that Harry’s situation should be assessed according to his actual risk rather than solely according to whether he performs official royal duties.

Private security also cannot necessarily replicate every capability available to state protection teams in Britain, further complicating the question of what arrangements would be appropriate if the Sussex family becomes based in the country for extended periods.

No final security arrangement has been publicly confirmed

Despite the growing political debate, there has been no public confirmation of exactly what protection Harry, Meghan and their children will receive.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to discuss the details, describing the couple’s security arrangements as a “private matter” and wishing them well with their move.

The Home Office has similarly maintained its longstanding position of not publicly discussing individual protective-security arrangements.

That means suggestions that Harry has already secured full taxpayer-funded royal protection should be treated cautiously.

What is clear is that his return has forced the issue back into focus.

Six years after Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal life, they are preparing to live in Britain again without returning as working royals. Their status may not be changing — but the practical realities surrounding their safety certainly are.

Blunkett’s proposal offers one possible compromise: limited protection now, followed by reassessment once authorities have a clearer picture of the risks associated with the Sussexes’ renewed presence in Britain.

Whether that becomes the eventual solution remains unknown. But with Archie and Lilibet expected to begin school in September, the question of Harry and Meghan’s security has moved from a long-running royal dispute to an immediate practical issue.