Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could face another review of their security arrangements as they prepare to live in the U.K. with their children, Archie and Lilibet.
Former Metropolitan Police royalty protection chief Dai Davies said the family’s return could increase the likelihood of officials reassessing Prince Harry security needs. He estimated that round-the-clock protection could cost as much as £5 million annually if taxpayers funded it.
Harry and Meghan’s U.K. return could prompt a fresh review of taxpayer-funded security for their family
Harry and Meghan lost their previous level of publicly funded protection after stepping back as working members of the Royal Family in 2020. Harry later challenged the Home Office over those arrangements but lost his Court of Appeal case in 2025.
Davies said the circumstances surrounding the Harry U.K. return differed because Meghan, Archie and Lilibet would also live in Britain.
“The chances of him getting this protection now have gone up considerably,” Davies told Daily Mail.
He stopped short of saying Harry should automatically receive the protection he previously sought. Instead, Davies said officials should reassess the situation because the family plans to live in the country.
“I’m not saying he gets it (the protection he is asking for), but it has to be properly professionally reviewed again in my view,” he said.
The Sussexes are expected to live at a private residence outside London. Their status as private individuals will remain unchanged.
The Home Office has not indicated any change to its approach. A spokesperson said the government’s protective security system remained “rigorous and proportionate.”
Questions also remain over who would pay for increased protection. Ailsa Anderson, Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary, asked, “Should the British taxpayer really have to foot the bill for his security?”
The Executive Committee decides security arrangements for royals and other public figures. The Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Royal Household help assess each case.
Harry previously said he did not consider Britain safe enough for Meghan and their children without sufficient protection. The family’s reported return has now put those arrangements back under scrutiny.
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