Omid Scobie’s Yahoo UK column this week is “Royal staff and the British government need to make sure Harry and his family get the security they need – before it’s too late.” Prince Harry is now involved in two lawsuits to get police protection when he visits the UK, and he’s been clear about it the entire time: he wants high-level police security and he wants to reimburse the taxpayer for the cost of the protection. Currently, one part of his case (against the Home Office) will be going through a Judicial Review at some point. Just last week, he sued the Met police. Scobie talks about how Harry, Meghan and their children have a real need for police protection during their visits and that the Men In Grey better figure this sh-t out in a hurry. Some highlights:
Royals are targets: For members of the monarchy, including those who have chosen to step away like Prince Harry, this high level of security is essential. Alongside the Prime Minister, Royal Family members are some of the most targeted individuals in the country. Given this fact, it’s hard to then understand why Prince Harry is still locked in a lengthy High Court battle with the British Home Office over the protection privileges he lost in early 2020. The duke says he has been forced to keep visits to his home turf few and far between as his private security in the U.S. don’t have adequate jurisdiction in Britain (i.e. access to necessary intelligence and the ability to arm themselves).
RAVEC is shady: RAVEC – which includes senior aides of the royal household and former government officials – don’t appear to have a publicly visible and defined set of guidelines for this issue. If they did then surely the sensitivities around Prince Andrew and his security arrangements would have come under immense scrutiny. Though stripped of all royal patronages and military affiliations after the shame of his close friendship with a paedophile billionaire and paying out millions to rape accuser Virginia Giuffre, Andrew’s Scotland Yard protection remains an annual and unchallenged cost of around $500,000 to the British taxpayer.
A high number of threats: Harry’s fears aren’t rooted in paranoia. While covering Harry and Meghan’s time as working royals, I was made aware of the astonishingly high number of threats sent to the couple — the majority received from U.K. locations and many of them rooted in racism towards the duchess. It’s no different today. Sources tell me that during the Sussex family’s visit for the Platinum Jubilee (which they were given state security for as it was an official royal event), a number of credible threats were intercepted by authorities. I witness a lot myself, too. Thanks to a never-ending stream of false tabloid tales calling me the couple’s “close friend” or “spokesman”, I regularly receive an extension of their online threats. The messages range from extreme racism to disturbingly violent scenes involving the likes of dismemberment, car accidents and rape. They always get forwarded to the police.
The curious case of Edward Young: In his first case against the Home Office, a judge recently granted Harry the right to challenge the lack of transparency around RAVEC’s decision making and policies. Whilst a court also heard Harry was unhappy that the Queen’s private secretary Sir Edward Young, who the duke has had “significant tensions” with, was on the deciding committee, Harry was not granted the right to judicial review based on this ground. Just a month before RAVEC’s conclusion, Young – who has served Her Majesty for over 18 years – attempted to stop the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from meeting with the Queen when they made their decision to step back.
Harry simply wants to pay for his police security: RAVEC’s lawyers argue that they were entitled to reach its decision, which currently sees Harry’s security arrangements considered on a case by case basis. However, it seems cruel in the extreme to allow Prince Andrew round-the-clock police protection but not the future King’s son. It comes across as the Establishment punishing Harry, yet again, for breaking away from the Firm and sharing his experiences publicly. But the safety of others should never be up for debate. While each side has its differences (and it’s unlikely they will ever see eye to eye), there is only one acceptable solution to this fight: reinstate Harry’s access to security at his own expense – before it’s too late.
Scobie mentions that Harry was likely referencing Edward Young when Harry spoke about needing to ensure that the Queen has “the right people around her.” To Harry, Young is not the right person. Young is playing some kind of petty, punitive game with Harry’s life and the lives of Harry’s wife and children. What’s even more asinine is that security should simply be determined by threat level. That’s what’s always been bonkers about this whole controversy – Salt Islanders are crying about “well Harry left” and “he thinks he can BUY the police” and “what does the Queen’s private secretary say” when this should solely be a police issue and a threat issue. And Scobie is reminding everyone that Andrew still has full royal protection too. Yep. It’s insulting.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696611759, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696613844, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696621832, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II. The National Service marks The Queen’s 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. Public service is at the heart of the event and over 400 recipients of Honours in the New Year or Birthday Honours lists have been invited in recognition of their contribution to public life. Drawn from all four nations of the United Kingdom, they include NHS and key workers, teaching staff, public servants, and representatives from the Armed Forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups.,Image: 696633859, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
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- Peter Phillips, the Duchess of Sussex, the Duke of Sussex and Zara Tindall leave the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II. The National Service marks The Queen’s 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. Public service is at the heart of the event and over 400 recipients of Honours in the New Year or Birthday Honours lists have been invited in recognition of their contribution to public life. Drawn from all four nations of the United Kingdom, they include NHS and key workers, teaching staff, public servants, and representatives from the Armed Forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups.,Image: 696653719, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.,Image: 696678032, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ARTHUR EDWARDS / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.,Image: 696678053, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ARTHUR EDWARDS / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.,Image: 696678335, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ARTHUR EDWARDS / Avalon
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- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrive for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.,Image: 696678455, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: ARTHUR EDWARDS / Avalon
This “before it’s too late” language has ominous double meaning. Suggests the Queen’s poor health but also the credibility of threats against Harry and Meghan and kids, and the danger not reinstating that security is to their lives.
It’s interesting you mention the queen as that hadn’t even crossed my mind. I just assumed Scobie was talking about the threat to the Sussex family. Even if it gets worked out, I don’t know if I’d trust the RAVEC committee, if I were Harry. The whole thing – and the fact that apparently his family don’t care if he/they are murdered (and are making is EASIER for them to be targeted) – makes my skin crawl. The queen doesn’t care enough to tell her aides to back the fcuk off and Chuck was the one spilling their location after they initially lost protection – the callousness blows my mind. I honestly just hope they never go back there. I know that’s not realistic but I don’t trust that “family” one bit.
I think most sussex fans would rather see that harry but especially Meghan never set a foot in the UK but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be able to if that is what they wish. Whether we like it or not the UK is Harry’s country of birth. He fought for that country. He has a british passport, it’s where his mother is buried and it’s where his firstborn was born. The fact that he can’t return because it might be to dangerous is disgraceful.
RAVEC was happy to follow the proper procedures for Andrew and assess based on risk level, but want to change the rules where harry is concerned and want to assess on a case by case basis??? No i am happy harry is fighting for this.
The royal family should not be allowed to use security as a mode of control. Because again, that is what this is all about.
@Chloe
Youre so right about their desire to control H. Theyre using the control-via-the-security issue because the control-via-money is waaaay out of their hands.
It’s common knowledge that Charles is basically in charge of the Queen’s office and much of the staff. Can’t we assume this Edward Young is doing Prince Charles bidding? At the very least couldn’t PC put an end to this and allow Harry the security that he needs and is really his birthright.
@Roan Inish, you are correct— the only part missing is that Charles is a complete piece of selfish sh!t
The top aides and government officials who are also advisors on RAVEC could be a positive when they are on your side, but if they are against you that is a terrible position to be in, maybe they should review their members and their conflicting interests.
They should absolutely review their members, but who would be doing the review? We know it would’t be objective.
Notice how RAVEC wants to do a case by case judgement? That’s the “top aided” wanting control over Harry’s movements. They want to know when he comes, where he goes and have the power to stop him from going when/where if they don’t like what he’s up to. It’s all about control and revenge.
Yes, this part @couchpotato. I’ve wondered if they will try and say he can pay for the security but it still must be case by case. Which again, gives RAVEC, EY, and the RF advance knowledge of all their plans and movements anytime they’re in England.
Also diana. How long after she lost her police protection did she last? Less than 2 years. The royal family knows what they are doing and it’s absolutely horrible.
Diana refused police protection after her divorce. It wasn’t withdrawn from her by the royal family.
According to the royal family…..after she died and the public were passed and wanted someone to blame.
It was also claimed that H&M refused titles for Archie. That turned out to be a lie. Reported that H&M refused to do the hospital steps things with Archie and that was a lie; they were never asked. Unless you have some proof that Di herself said she refused protection, I wouldn’t consider RF news as proof of anything. And, if the contention is PH isn’t entitled since not a “working” royal then wouldn’t the same rules apply to Di?
Are we sure about that, or is that propaganda from the Firm?
They were ratting her put it please know that is the palace narrative that she requested it to be pulled. It was taken away as punishment. Look at how they are and have always framed her.
They were ratting her put it please know that is the palace narrative that she requested it to be pulled. It was taken away as punishment. Look at how they are and have always framed her.
Of course they want something to happen to a Sussex – they get to reframe the narrative like they did to Diana.
@Cherys, prince Harry’s case has put a loooot of things in perspective for us non firm supporters, princess Diana’s being one of them. There is absolutely NO evidence to support the claim that princess Diana refused security/protection. Just like there no evidence to support the claims that the Sussexes REFUSED: royal security/protection, Archie’s title, Lindo wing steps show, Meghan’s name on Archie’s birth certificate etc etc, (the list is too long) ALL of which were claimed by the Firm that the Sussexes refused.
I don’t believe that Diane refused security anymore, neither does Harry. Charles was an awful husband and even worse father. What kind of parent put their kid in the line of fire ???
Yeah, I’ve got to go along with the others who no longer believe that crap about Diana “refusing” security or protection. She knew how much her life had changed when she became engaged to Charles and after their marriage. She had experienced the BM getting photographs of her even when she was at exercise class. Diana was smart enough to know that the media’s obsession with her would not end with a divorce. I also believe that the security refusal story was the royal family’s attempt to exonerate themselves from any blame for the way she eventually died.
I believe nothing that comes out of anyone’s mouth, in that family, re. Diana’s security. It’s only conveniently providing posthumous absolution to one party, and that isn’t Diana.
That actually isn’t established and since they falsely claimed this about H and M, it is so doubly suspect.
I’ll admit that I believed that narrative. Haven’t for sometime now. When you start separating the wheat from the chaff (BM, “royal experts”, “royal/palace sources, former employees(and current employees) who’ve somehow been able to say whatever/write books even though they have NDA’s) and “friends” who’ve been paid for a story (looking at Rosa Monckton as one who was given an MBE in 2017), “security consultants”, former Met chiefs with their own scandals-it’s obvious that was/is the story being pushed. The line item of miscellaneous expenses for the SG annual report for decades covered a lot.
The one/two constants are Diana had RPO protection when she was with Harry & William, along with any official palace engagements. Like @Debbie said, that version was pushed to exonerate the royal family and their intentional failure to protect a most globally popular member of the RF- in addition to making it look like the onus was on Diana, the BRF weren’t interested in protecting her.
Within a week of Diana’s death, amidst all the outcry of Diana refusing royal protection *bullsh&t*, a Labour MP said (I’m paraphrasing) ‘we’ll never get answer to that question’. (Whether she refused.)
The shenanigans of the BRF/grey man, identifies to me, where the phrase of being royally screwed/f&cked stems from. There are no lessons learned in the Firm/BRF system. Only their hopes that people don’t see history is repeating itself.
A 1996 NYT article discussing C & D’s divorce referenced the Panorama interview. The outlook was that the BRF was a ‘cold unfeeling family’.
Everything being done to harry is going to come back to haunt andrew. Charles and william might not care for that but the queen does and honestly that is what she deserves for her inaction
I don’t see how, as Scobie writes that the pedo is still receiving tax funded protection. It’s clear that there’s a different standard for Harry and his mixed race family.
Clear as day. Are they not embarrassed? Guess not.
@sussexwatcher: personally i see this going either way. Every time something is done to harry people will be like “but what about andrew” so either andrew is now in line to have his security stripped as well OR the royal might be inclined to give harry what he wants.
@Chloe, people can say “what about Andrew” all they want, it still won’t change any bottom lines, I’m afraid. They stripped Prince Harry of everything royal but, how long and what exactly did it take to do the same to prince Pedo? And all that while, people were saying “what about Andrew” but still didnt affect nothing.
They are hoping the queen dies sooner than later so that the “what about Andrew” argument becomes moot as Charles will most definitely pull his paid RPO security when the queen passes. Right now ravec is stalling for time.
I wonder if Charles will pull Andrew’s security. Def think he wants to but at the same time keeping tabs on Andrew and not letting him twist in the wind seems to be a priority for the RF. Idk honestly.
I am not so sure Charles will pull Andrew’s security.
I think the decision about who should get security should done by the police alone not royal aides and former government Ministers. It’s interesting that Richard Eden hasn’t commented on Omid’s latest piece. He usually has something snide to say about them every week.
It’s obvious Young is there mucking up any fact based decision about giving RPO security for Harry and Meghan when they visit because on the facts alone Harry and Meghan get more threats than all the rest and would require security.
What Omid is saying without directly saying it is that Young, and likely the queen and Charles, is saying Harry and Meghan are expendable.
Meanwhile andrew gets the security suggesting he is not expendable.
@Nic919 when you put it so starkly like that if it ever dawned on Harry that this is the case it would break his heart. I hope betty lives a couple more years while this thing unravels at some point he will wake up and realise he has to make a decision none of this one foot in and one foot out. Betty might tell him she cares but she doesnt show that she cares. She has been getting a pass for a lot of bad behavior.
Well said, Nic.
I do not and never have been able to understand how Harry is able to reconcile the “beloved Granny” with her actual, DOCUMENTED behavior toward him and his family.
I get that it’s difficult to cut off any family member, but ffs, this woman has shown *over and over again* for the past few years that she is simply unwilling to lift a finger for his safety and dignity, yet he still adores her. I just cannot wrap my brain around it.
Harry may know her true mental state while we do not. That may be part of his reasoning.
@ Amy Bee, I agree wholeheartedly!! There should be no one within the Firm to hold a position of power regarding the outcome of security levels. We are all seeing that these “selected” members of RAVEC are all self serving. This is nothing but the ability to control and manipulate H&M’s access. EY is intent on carrying out the dirty deeds of those within the BRF, nothing more.
I fully agree that these matters should be decided upon by the Met as well as SY.
Scobie’s columns are the only sane thing written about the Royal Family at the moment. And the stark difference between his reports and the ridiculous puffery that comes out of all the other RRs just continues to demonstrate how much we cannot trust the British media any more to report accurately. As someone said the other day, the RRs are not journalists, they are PR hacks.
Keep saying it Scobie and say it louder.
I wonder if Scobie’s new book will be different from his first one that was co-authored. I felt like he was being restricted. We shall see.
Scobie’s upcoming book seems like its gonna be a whole world away from his first book. In his first book he thought he was getting bona fide information about H&M from the snake jasonKNIFE. But it turns out, he was fed a pack of lies.
But in the description of his new book he said: “[the book] will focus on a new chapter of the royal story and feature unique insight, deep access, and exclusive revelations.”
I, for one, am particularly intrigued by what he means by “deep access and exclusive revelations.” It sounds like this time around he will actually get to interview H and/or M.
@ Hopey, as much as he would love to interview H&M, I don’t see that happening. Though I do see Scobie pulling the curtain back and giving us the truth about how H&M were treated, with truth and facts, as opposed to the other so called royal writers who are working closely with their chosen RF members as a means of getting their own stories out.
Scobie will be giving us his own interpretation, as well as facts, as to how the dominos fell within the BRF. It won’t be pretty for the those on Salty Island of Petty nor those still residing on that gawd forsaken island as well.
He wants to pay for it. Compared to Andrew’s paid security, Harry will not be in the UK as much. Nothing about this block is making sense and it’s making RAVEC look extremely childish and petty because they cannot explain their rationale properly and clearly on how they assessed Harry’s threat level. It’s such a disgrace their dislike for HM makes them forget their professional duties and obligations. To these awful people I want to tell you, you will never know peace.
So far, we’ve learned from Harry’s lawyer – as outcome of the judicial review reg. the discussion to strip him of security – that Ravec:
1.) Membership regards the Queen and Charles’ top aids/private secretaries. They lied when they told Harry that Ravec was independent and so was the decision to take away his security.
2. Has no writen policy or set of rules on which their recurity reviews and advices are based on. Most likely, security need assessments and advices are outcomes of what is desired/ordered.
Harry has been able to proof their lies and to embarrass them already, more so Edward Young. Imagine what more about the inner workings of Ravec, and the Queen and Charles’ involvement in the decision-making, could come out in a full lawsuit, when the case is taken to the level of discovery. They must be very scared at the palaces.
…but not scared enough to just give him his security. They must have decided controlling his actions was more important than being exposed in court.
I can’t imagine having to go through someone who worked for a grandparent in order to simply talk to my grandparent.
Got into it with a few posters yesterday and my 3 word answer to them was Andrew Andrew Andrew. They had no credible response why he still has 24/7 protection at the public’s expense, but Harry who is willing to pay for the same in the UK does not.
There’s also the fact that police protection was paid for so that Kate and Cam had it before marrying in.
Didn’t Sophie have it too? The woman marrying a guy who was pretty far down the succession?
Apparently. Somebody had posted on twitter about that today. Ed would have been further up the line at the time but most people forget he even exists.
Yes @HeatherC. Sophie had it too as a girlfriend due to ‘media intrusion’ not threats. She was the white color like Kate & Camilla. Not being a Brit, was there really any media interest/intrusion into Sophie’s life back then? Other than it being royal “news”?
Since they’re defending the pedo prince protection, Harry’s requests seem even more petty
Huh? How does Harry’s request seem more petty in comparison to the defense of protection of the pedo prince? Maybe I’m misunderstanding something.
The risks to the Sussex family can’t be overstated thanks to the radicalization and hate drummed up by the British media and royal family. Their best hope is to keep bringing all of these threats and the extreme conflicts of interest on RAVEC out into the daylight. Edward Young and his machinations just stink to high heaven.
@C-shell
Almost like that’s a feature, not a bug, right? 🤔
Prince Charles and The Queen could end this at any time. The only conclusion one can draw is that they don’t want Harry, Meghan and the kids to be able to move in and out of the UK on a regular basis. Unless they are back under the royal control…like Andrew.
Yes! The RF has no problem speaking out to defend Camilla, Kate and Wm and Charles. They can’t use the “never explain” defense here. One short statement from the queen and Charles would have ended this nightmare long ago. The question us, why not. Why the silence and withholding of support.
Yes, EXACTLY. They could end this immediately and easily – just as the Queen did when the whole Paul Burrell stole Diana’s possessions thing happened. One word from either of them and this case – and the expense of it – would be over. Harry would have protection. The end.
The fact that neither of them are seeing fit to do so speaks volumes. There is no excuse that justifies this even without the spectre of Andrew. They DO NOT CARE.
Sadly, you are correct. I just don’t understand the level of hate. They are being punished for breathing. Meghan said she knew it would be hard but expected fairness. Wish not granted.
Agree so much @hench. It’s crazy that Andrew has security while Harry doesn’t, but even, as you say, without the specter of Andrew, it’s ridiculous. Regardless of Andrew, even if Andrew’s security was dropped, Harry is offering to pay and still being disallowed. It’s unbelievable.
@TheHench, exactly. And Harry’s behavior toward his father absolutely reflects his understanding of this. It’s the way he lets Liz 100% off the hook that I don’t get.
I understand that she’s surrounded by people like Young, but she isn’t completely senile (as far as we know), and she *was* able to call the shots when she wanted the Sussexes at the Jubbly. She also managed to have them visit her secretly on their way to the IG. That made it clear that she absolutely does still have enough autonomy to make something happen when she wants to, and either overrule people like Young, or do an end run around them completely (possibly with Eugenie’s assistance, at least with the pre-Invictus visit).
So she’s able to see the Sussexes when she wants to, yet always stops short of taking concrete (and public) action to help Harry in any official, long-term way. If it doesn’t involve her personally and her specific wishes (e.g. wanting to meet Lilibet), she peaces out and pulls her ostrich act.
The Queen holds the power to end all of this at any time, actively chooses not to, repeatedly, and I can’t comprehend how Harry is seemingly able to ignore this, or let it slide. It isn’t even that she’s complicit, imo— it’s worse than that because of the influence she has here. We’ve seen that Harry is NOT playing around when it comes to the safety and happiness of his family— as it should be. He had to cut ties with both his father and brother, which, despite all of their issues, must have been incredibly painful for him.
But his loyalty to Liz remains, even when she is the one with the most power here, far moreso than Charles, especially when it comes to shaping public sentiment of the Sussexes. Saying in a statement three years ago that H&M are “much-loved members of the family” doesn’t cut it anymore, especially not with this ongoing security issue. Harry has a blind spot (some might call it a soft spot, but considering what’s at stake here, I’m going with blind spot) where she is concerned, and imo it’s very hard to watch.
I understood it a *little* more when it seemed, a few months back, that she was deteriorating rapidly and it appeared possible that she had little time left and could go any day. Of course Harry would want to see her when it could have been the last time.
But then she seemed to spring to life again at the Jubbly, and realistically, she could end up living as long as her mother did, or even longer FGS. Obviously Harry’s relationship with his grandmother is absolutely none of my business whatsoever, lol, but if we’re going to discuss the security issue here, there’s no way to do that without acknowledging her role in it.
IDK. I feel so very sorry for Harry on all sorts of different levels. It’s a fcking MESS and the two constants here appear to be that 1) Harry still loves his granny and wants to see her regularly and maintain that relationship, and 2) the Queen is not going to lift a goddamn FINGER to publicly show support for him and his family in any way, and has no intention of stepping in to settle this security nightmare, an action that could quite literally save his life.
God she’s the WORST
@Lorelei – YES! you said it exactly. I can get him loving her if she is incapable of lifting a finger to protect his family from a VERY real danger, but she has demonstrated in the very recent past that she is quite capable of forcing unpopular decisions when she wants to. Poor Harry, his gran doesn’t want to keep him safe.
This is not “Gran doing Firm business” this is “Gran let the BP put a target on my family and then made it impossible for me to even buy protection”
@The Hench, @Lorelei – The Paul Burrell thing was a long time ago. TQ is in a different position now. My theory is, Harry has told her to look after herself, and not to worry about him, that he’d take care of his own stuff.
I don’t believe TQ is senile. But she’s 96 years old and not in the best of health. Always a weak leader who preferred not to address things head on, her husband and most of her close, trusted confidantes and supports are dead. The head of her household for the last six years has been a man installed by her son, and whose true loyalty (and that of his staff) is not to the current queen, but to the next monarch. It’s pretty clear also that his dislike of Meghan in particular is personal, and intense. He was able to prevent Harry from meeting with his grandmother in early 2020 before the Sussexes finally left. In order for Harry and Meghan to see her this April, TQ had to keep the visit a secret. (It’s fun to imagine Young’s head exploding when he found out.). Harry said the purpose of his visit was to make sure TQ had the right people around her, and also, that she tells him things she doesn’t/can’t? tell anyone else. There was a message in that, for the world in general, and the RF in particular.
I suspect at this point TQ is able to accomplish things only if it aligns with what Charles wants. Andrew, for example. However myopic her view of him is, she wants him protected. Charles wanted a statement from her supporting Camilla as future QC, and a bargain was likely struck. I can’t remember who initially broke the news of TQ inviting Harry and Meghan to the Jubbly (was it Harry?) but very likely Charles was happy with the PR bump of having them there, especially since they in return were likely fine with staying off the balcony, etc. Thus TQ was able to make the security and other arrangements she wanted.
Harry doesn’t need her to be going up against the formidable team of Edward Young and Charles at this point in her life, and really, what allies does she have at BP now?
The person with the power to immediately solve the security issue for the Sussexes is the person who pulled it in the first place with virtually no warning – Charles. And hiding behind TQ, to let it appear that she’s the primary one failing to act, is the typical sleazy behavior we’ve come to expect from the FK.
Agree about the BRF wanting to control the narrative about Harry and Meghan. And not only them but the government wants to control the Sussexes story too. They can control what the other royals do say by withholding government support (funds). The Sussexes don’t take public funds so how will the government control them? They don’t want tremendously charismatic and influential individuals running around not on message with the government. Better to keep them out. I think Harry’s lawsuit is going to expose lot of things that people want to remain covered. No wonder his memoir has them shook, even more than the Oprah interview.
Yes, Charles and Betty could end it today. And, at this point in the drama, I’m thinking that it’s William who is the lone angry holdout in that family who wants to keep punishing Harry and that includes denying him security. Burger King is the only senior royal of influence who is still having a temper tantrum about Harry leaving, still running away whenever Harry comes back, still conspiring against him, still chasing after Harry’s market share.
If Burger King yells and stomps his feet at the idea of Harry being able to move freely around the country, I can see Chuck and Betty washing their hands of the security issue and leaving it to Harry to figure out for himself. I imagine that behind the scenes, William is a pain in the rear to deal with where H&M are concerned and he makes everyone’s lives hell when he doesn’t get what he wants. What William wants, William gets, is probably the first iteration of that phrase that they ultimately applied to Meghan.
@ Harpe, we must never forget Burger King and his unforgivable temper tantrum that he caused when PP died. He was so angry that Harry would attend that TQ had to insist that NONE of the BRF members not be allowed to wear their fake medals, given for having achieved nothing.
Burger Kings demands as his grandmother was mourning the loss of her husband of 70 years, showed that Burger King did not have one ounce of empathy for her.
What an absolutely awful king he will be.
Burger King may single handedly bring down the Monarchy!! I would not be surprised nor feel any sense of pity for anyone in that family.
(My keyboard stuck and didn’t type in the r in my name for the above comment).
I completely forgot about Burger King’s temper tantrum about the men’s wardrobe for PP’s funeral. One could think, oh, that was right after the Oprah interview, so Burger King was of course still mad. And then soon after that, he sent Jason the Knife to court for The Fail against Meghan. It was just two or three months after Oprah so of course, he was still MAD.
Fast forward to this June for the Jubbly, fifteen months after Oprah, and Burger King still can’t stand to be anywhere near Harry. He is still MAD. It’s ridiculous that this Man Baby acts this way. And we know Burger King feels he is being righteous by remaining MAD. I think Edward Young is doing William’s bidding, probably has been taking Burger King’s temperature all along and placating him for future gain.
Uugghh. Hate even mildly defending William, in this case & scenario (re:security talks) it was Andrew that was reported to be the one in a hissy fit about not wearing the military uniform. Didn’t members of the military come out and say something about how if Harry wasn’t to wear a military uniform, Andrew definitely shouldn’t be allowed to? p.s. Outside of the blue/black?/white uniforms-the rest of them-especially the red ones-look like Nutcrackers.
Everything about this is shocking to me. Every time there is an article about Harry’s security, I get heated all over again. It tells you just how insidious the papers’ smear campaign is that so many British citizens are just like how dare he and who does he think he is wanting to pay for his own protection. So yeah, Diana’s son and family should just be left unprotected in England and people are actually smugly arguing for this. Not a good look at all. As for the RF, my god. It’s all control, jealousy, and manipulation. Omid is right when he calls it punitive. The HBO Diana doc is coming out this wknd and should be a reminder about what can happen when security is messed around with.
Agreed 100%, Jais.
With you, @Jais
The dm moderated comments for the Andrew and security article but the ones they.let on are still scathing and negative yet they never moderate comments about security for the sussexes issue and some really scary comments are let in a real disgrace
Yes, it’s punitive. To me, this behavior is unfathomable because I don’t give a rat’s ass about the RF. But to the RF, the media that feeds off them and the British public who support them, this is a true existential threat. H&M are disturbing the “world order,” which for a 1,000 years has said “we are the best, you can’t get better than us.” Andrew is a raping, grifting creep, but he still acknowledges the supremacy of the throne (even if it’s just to get more money out of Mum). But H&M are rejecting the supremacy of the throne. They’re saying “you’re not the best, we can do better than you,” and what’s worse, they’re proving it. This might seem like a jealous squabble between family members, but to the grey men who are the backbone of the institution, it’s heresy and must be stamped out.
Actually, @Eurydice, I think you just fathomed it perfectly. Yes. Harry and Meghan are an existential threat to, if not an actual monarch (v difficult to untangle the constitution and replace with a president or similar) certainly the rest of the royal hangers on.
@ Eurydice and @ The Hench, you are both spot on!!! They can’t fathom that Harry and Meghan are not only thriving but that they are out working, out shinning as well as become international stars!!! The BRF is angry that they didn’t flop and come back begging for forgiveness as well as wanting back into the fold.
I love how Harry and Meghan have been proving them wrong every single day!!! It’s the chefs kiss 💋 to all of these jealous and petty people!!
@Eurydice
I’m re-watching The Crown……still on season-1 and it is so crystal clear how ancient and unfit-for-purpose their ways have always been, vis-a-vis the actual era in which they find themselves.
For example, even at the time of betty’s coronation (circa 1953), Phillip’s attempts to get them to “modernize” by, for example, televising the ceremony, was met wth sooooo such resistance by the gate-keepers – the ancestors of today’s “men-in-grey” (as Diana revealed). So we’re talking about Edward Young’s predecessors. So EdwardYoung must really consider himself THE keeper of the old ways of the monarchy and therefore, he feels obliged to destroy H&M because their continued success outside the monarchy is a serious “threat” to its survival.
Folks, these people really believe their own hype. H&M’s lives are seriously in danger.
@Eurydice & Hench
Both of you are spot on 👏
What is being protected here? Not the Royal Family’s reputation, which can easily weather a scandal like Andrew (and has endured/obscured worse over the centuries, sadly). It’s the legitimacy of The Firm that is at stake, and once the cracks widen, they know there’s no chance of holding it back.
@Eurydice and @MsIsam have hit the nail on the head for me with the two reasons that this is happening.
1. If Harry can get proper protection for his family then he and Meghan are free to come back and forth to the UK and work as they please. In doing so they would generate huge headlines, suck all attention away from the Royals AND show up just how lazy and inept Will and Kate especially, are.
2. That scenario is genuinely an existential threat to the Family. Because if Meghan and Harry are fulfilling all the roles a royal is supposed to and better than the existing ones, whilst not being supported by the sovereign grant then it is inevitable that the public would start to question why the RF needs paying for at all.
Edward Young knows that Harry and Meghan are genuinely under threat and need police protection and that is what he is relying on to keep this nightmare scenario (for the RF) at bay. When he learned that Harry didn’t want to come here or bring his family here without PP then he probably went ‘thank God for that – we actually have a way of keeping him out if we can deny him the protection he is asking for” So he did everything in his power to make sure Harry was denied it because, make no mistake, a fully functioning H&M here in the UK would be the biggest threat the Royal Family has possibly ever faced.
Trying to avoid that scenario is also the only reason I can think of that Charles and The Queen are not stepping in here. They are hoping that, without proper security, Harry will just stay away from the UK so that he doesn’t undermine the whole monarchy.
@The Hench – exactly. Despite historical similarities, Harry is unprecedented. Edward Vlll abdicated, but he didn’t build a different life for himself and Wallace – he still wanted to be part of the RF. Diana was an outsider, not born into the RF and eventually returning to outsider status after her divorce. Even Meghan, who was treated abominably, is not unprecedented – non-royals have left the RF before. But Harry is a totally new thing. Born into the monarchy, willing to leave the monarchy, willing to expose it as a wasteful dinosaur and showing the world what good can be done without the monarchy. Basically, Harry took the RF’s purpose with him when he left and this is why they want him back…on their terms, of course.
I completely agree, The Hench and Eurydice. The part I truly don’t understand about this is they are acting like they live in a vacuum, and the entire planet isn’t watching them shun and exile a member of a family that claims to be ORDAINED BY GOD. Not only that, but the one member of the family who is truly dedicated to public service, without taking anything from the public.
So…God fucked up? That appears to be the takeaway, for these petty worms. Do they not get that this house of cards is going to topple, and it will be their fault?
Christine, all the RF cares about is that The Firm. Must. Go. On. Full stop. Anything that gets in the way of that simply doesn’t matter. And the only way they know for things to go on is for things to be done as they always have, no matter how dated, inappropriate, embarrassing—or lethal.
@Eurydice & Hench
You’ve brought the clarity that I needed. It kind of confirms for me that the royal money laundering services they provide to Dark Money are closely tied to their questionable charities. Although the beneficiaries of their charities probably actually get some financial assistance out of it (unlike with Trump, who got away with simply displaying a giant poster-board check of no value).
So, if H&M do charity, what I call, the RIGHT way and people begin to see the difference (because charities wind up actually receiving $$$,$$$,$$$ instead of $) then how do you think the RF will continue the grift? What other types of schemes are in the works to replace it, do you think?
I hope the lynchpin for keeping the Dark side of the world out of the Good side’s business and laws can find a new and peaceful Front or I’m afraid H&M are truly in grave danger.
I believe in prayer but, more than that, I hope God is as concerned about it as we all should be.
This makes it obvious that the men in gray suits feel that H&M are a real threat to the royal institution.
Disclosing that Charles is running a HRM Royal Money Laundering Racket is not considered a threat at all.
One thing that frustrates me that few media seem to ever report on, including Omid, is that the BRF had planned to NOT give Archie security BEFORE HE WAS EVEN BORN!! They wanted H and M to continue their Sr roles full in, with all the threat that comes with that and then NOT provide security for their children!!! That is one of the many reasons they chose to leave. They’re babies were going to be at risk WHILE they were working royals. This wasn’t AFTER they left. They pulled HARRY’S AS WELL after they left, but they were full chest ready to let Archie be killed. The institution is sick for more reasons than just H and M, but make no mistake British people, this is NOT because they stopped doing their tax payer funded role so they don’t get tax payer funded security…this is because they wanted biracial members of the BRF dead and some of y’all are brainwashed into thinking it’s about your tax dollars at work!
@Slippersforlife, You make an Extremely good point!
I believe Omid’s upcoming book will reveal all this and more.
At this point Harry just needs to renounce the titles and place in the succession and apply for US citizenship and be done with it.
Maybe after the Queen dies.
I would be extremely disappointed in Harry if he did that. Why would he, that’s a coward move. Harry needs to keep fighting for what’s right, I support him 100%. The Royal Family is fighting to protect Andrew the PEDO and Harry is fighting to protect his FAMILY.
Nope. His children are just as entitled to have those perks as the grandchildren of a future monarch, same as the rest of the RF.
@aquarius64 – Funny that is exactly what all the haters on the DM want him to do as well!
The haters on the DM won’t stop trashing them. In any case. The Queen and Charles could have stopped this ages ago but chose not to.
Every story about these security games makes me scream sociopath about Charles and his gang of gray ghouls.
Earlier today, Salmon Rushdie was stabbed 10-15 times on stage at a lecture. His death threats and the bounty on his head go back almost forty years.
The British royal family can eat it. Goes to show just how little they think of everyone else on the planet when they’re willing to endanger their own kin.
You can thank Prince Charles and Andrew for pulling Christopher Geidt from his position as TQ’s Private Secretary and replacing him with that snake in the grass Edward Young. Geidt was a very astute man and advised Charles on some issues related to becoming King that he didn’t like, and advised that Andrew be pulled from his role as Trade Envoy after his friendship with Epstein was revealed. Geidt also went over Andrew’s expenditures with a fine tooth comb.
It’s been Edward Young’s influence as a RAVEC member that has stone-walled the Sussex’s security. Apparently he decided unilaterally not to forward Harry’s request for RPO coverage to the Met and other RAVEC members. He’s allowed his personal animosity and misogynoir to get in the way of treating the Sussexes fairly. I love Omid’s take on this, and I appreciate his honesty about the horrible racist threats he’s also had to endure.
I was just in the Bennifer thread from today and I was wondering, has Harry ever been back to Paris at all in the last 25 years?
These dumbasses must have forgotten what happen when they took security off of his mother. He has stated clearly that event has had a profound effect in his life and on him mentally and emotionally for the rest of his life. he also stated any documentary he did not want to lose another person he love in that manner again. it’s no secret had Diana had the security that they all used to have, she might very well still be alive today. he I’m proud of him for digging in his heels, and he needs to because he knows how real the consequences are without his mother being here that everybody’s not taking it seriously.
I’m more and more convinced they didn’t forget. They got the outcome they were hoping for.
Word. Nothing could change my opinion at this point, and I really believed them for decades.
I’m late to the party when it comes to royal watching (I thought Diana’s crash was an accident. And, heck, I could take or leave Kate before all this 🙄) but, _damn_. There’s way too much crazy stuff that got revealed when the RF went after Meghan—and it all makes perfect sense when seen from their awful “Firm uber alles” obsession.
Harry and his two children are ahead of Andrew in line of succession and Andrew is a not a working royal so it is not consistent William did not want harry and family to stay
When I look at pictures about members of the royal family except the Sussexes-I feel like I am looking at the bowels of hell-the Sussex children will read how unprotected they were as a result of the royal family’s mistreatment of their parents-no way in history will this not be mentioned as a business of killers-royal family my ass- a bunch of assassins of anyone who refuses to obey their narratives and positions-I pray that God will give the Sussex family all the protection and help to guide them through these killer bees.
I don’t even think the rationale is that they want something terrible to befall the Sussexes but that the goal is to keep them out of the UK because if the Sussexes were able to count on the proper security arrangements they probably have no trouble securing literally anywhere else in the world and could come and go as they please, you know they’d be making way more trips back and forth doing substantive work with their various nonprofits, making the rest of the “working” royals look even more fucking useless and lazy than they all obviously are even without the Sussexes in the immediate area being competent and responsible philanthropists by comparison.
I hope to God they just abolish this archaic relic-ass colonizing institution at least within the next 15 yrs. It’s bad enough that evil Chaz may live another 20 (if his parents are held up as life- span/expectancy). England aren’t you all tired of this tax draining pomp??
An ex-pat I know who used to live west of London was told the Brits, personally, are ready to let them go due to the tax drain. The only reason they keep them around is because of American tourists. I can believe it but it makes me feel guilty by association.
Slays me to watch turnabout ‘contributor’ Robert Jobson on Good Morning America say that the “Home Office and Scotland Yard” have “got it wrong” since Harry is a former solider, and a legitimate target for terrorists. We’ve only heard this from Jobson since July 2022. Prior to then he was typical BT mouthpiece spewing horse biscuits and cow pies about Sussex safety in article after article, post after post. But now, supposedly, Jobson thinks HO/SY should come to some sort of sensible compromise, especially when you consider “the issues if something did happen whilst his family and he were here.” Hahahahaha. Prince Harry is smart enough to avoid UK without adequate security.
Kind of disagree. It might be one of the few incidences Jobson spoke the truth. (there does seem to be some reluctance amongst some RR’s regarding disputing Harry’s need for proper security) plus, derangers had a hissy fit when Jobson said that. He wasn’t wrong with his explanations. It doesn’t legitamize any of his past or future disparaging nonsense to the Sussexes.imo
Jobson is still the one that put out the initial false tiara story without verifying from ALL parties.
The one truth doesn’t eradicate the multiple untruths.
kirk, I’ve been puzzled by Robert Jobson a couple of times. I haven’t decided whether he took a look around and decided what Omid is doing will keep him employed longer–and with better employers–or if he sees the writing on the wall and wants it on the record that he was advocating that Harry & family needing security (or is it just Harry). I’ve always been surprised that the brf and the Home Office haven’t been concerned about something happening in the UK to Harry and/or family. The world would never forget that this is because they were denied security. I’m glad someone is saying that part out loud. It’s something that’s been talked about here long enough.
Do the BRF, BM, RR and courtiers know that if any happens Harry, Meghan, Archie or Lili that is essentially over for them?! There will be no sympathy for them from the public. They used William and Harry to get sympathy last time by having them walk behind Diana’s casket. The international press will rip them apart. If Meghan, Archie, or Lili dies and Harry is still alive, I totally see him banning his family from the funeral. No amount of pressure will change Harry’s mind to let them attend. If that happens how in the world will the BRF be able to explain it away? It will be whole lot worse than Diana. There is no coming back for the Royal family if any happens to the Sussexes.
They’re extremely stupid because it doesn’t even have to be anything tragic for that to happen. Something as simple as one of them getting into a non-fatal car accident would be disastrous. The talk on social media would be brutal and even the mainstream media would not hesitate to connect it to their security being pulled and everything that happened with Diana’s death.