Former Royal Security Official Reveals Meghan Markle Faced “Very Real” Threats in UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relinquished themselves of their royal duties in January 2020.

It’s no secret that Meghan Markle felt unwelcome in the United Kingdom throughout her courtship and engagement to Prince Harry and during the birth of their eldest, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

To this day, the couple is vocal about the fears and anxieties that come with returning to Britain soil even after stripping themselves of their royal duties. A caveat of the aforementioned being that they lost access to royal protection and security services like those available to Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Though some have branded the pair as being overly dramatic, new reports allege the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were up against “disgusting and very real” threats during their time as London residents.

“I’ve talked publicly for many years about the threat of extreme right-wing terrorism in this country,” Neil Basu, Scotland Yard’s former assistant commission of specialist operations, told British news outlet Channel 4.

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While Basu didn’t reveal specific details, he did stress that the “rhetoric” of these threats was enough to prompt an investigation.

“If you’d seen the stuff that was written and you were receiving it, the kind of rhetoric that’s online… you would feel under threat all of the time,” he continued.

Basu, who was in charge of royal protection at the time, said there were several “teams” who were responsible for inspecting the alleged threats against Markle and Prince Harry. When asked if these threats ever proved to be life threatening, Basu responded, “People have been prosecuted for those threats.”

In January 2020, the couple announced they’d be moving across the pond to California. As we know now, the transatlantic move caused a rift between Harry and other members of the British royal family. The pair also relinquished themselves of their royal duties and consequently, the family’s fortune and elite security force.

Emily Weaver
Emily is a NYC-based freelance entertainment and lifestyle writer — though, she’ll never pass up the opportunity to talk about women’s health and sports (she thrives during the Olympics). Read more