Talk to the hand? Harry’s novel idea to regain the king’s trust
Victoria Ward, Tony Diver and Nick Gutteridge
London: Prince Harry hopes to regain the King’s trust by no longer talking about private family matters in public.
The Duke of Sussex is moving back to the UK with his wife, Meghan, and their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, and wants to be closer to his wider family.
As part of that, he is committed to reconciliation and rebuilding relationships.
The king is understood to be pleased his younger son is coming home and is looking forward to spending more time with him and his family. However, it has been made clear that there will be no alteration to the duke and duchess’s role and status as private individuals and non-working royals.
Since leaving the UK in 2020, the couple has given a series of interviews, starred in their own six-part Netflix series about their lives, and Harry has published a tell-all memoir.
But it is understood that he and his advisers will put an end to long-form television interviews in an effort to reconcile with his father, King Charles, and other senior royals.
William and Catherine, the prince and princess of Wales, who are not thought to be on speaking terms with the Sussexes, have not commented on the impending move.
It is further understood that the duke and duchess plan not to expose their children to the public eye.
There will be no photographs released of Archie and Lilibet on their first day at their new UK school in September and no portraits released on their birthdays.
British media organisations have been urged by the regulator not to disclose the location of the new family home or the children’s school.
The family’s return, expected this month, is set to prompt a review of taxpayer-funded security.
The duke has long fought for the right to guaranteed police protection, but his efforts have been rejected by the courts and by the Home Office committee responsible for making such decisions.
The change in the couple’s so-called “unique circumstances” is expected to trigger a review of the current arrangement, which requires them to give 30 days’ notice of any travel to the UK, before each visit is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Two senior government sources told The Telegraph that the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body that determines the security arrangements of high-profile figures, was likely to review the couple’s security arrangements in light of their plan to return to Britain, and that it might be easier to arrange protection when they are in the UK full-time.
It is possible that the review could be fast-tracked before their arrival, but the sources indicated there were currently no plans to deploy a team to protect them.
That would mean the couple could be forced to pay for their own private protection when they land in Britain, while they await the outcome of any potential review.
The UK government has promised a fresh assessment of his security arrangements, which was due to begin at the start of this year, but it is not thought to have begun.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Thursday that their security was a “private matter”, despite the potential cost for taxpayers if their security were reinstated.
He did not intend to make further comments about their security unless Ravec changed its decision, sources said.
One source familiar with the government’s VIP security system said Ravec was usually “massively oversubscribed” because of the unprecedented number of living former prime ministers in Britain, who are entitled to security for life.
“There are only so many specialised police officers who are qualified to do this job,” the source said. “There is a chronic shortage of protection officers in Britain and a ballooning need for them.”
Candidates for security are assessed by the committee based on the threat to their lives from hostile actors, which could include terror groups and lone attackers.
An assessment by Harry’s own private security team found that he was the focus of six terrorist plots, including five in the UK. The dossier, seen by The Telegraph last month, contained an al-Qaeda document that called for his assassination.
They were told they could not exploit a “half-in, half-out” model that would see them pursue commercial opportunities while also representing the monarchy.
After a 12-month review of their situation, the late Queen confirmed that the couple would not “continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service”.
The Sussexes responded by saying: “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”
