Meghan And Harry Face Another Blow With Their Upcoming International Trip
More drama has unfolded regarding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's trip to The Netherlands.
The couple is traveling to Europe for the first time together since they stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, as reported by Harper's Bazaar, for the Invictus Games. In fact, this will mark Meghan's first time in Europe since leaving the royal family, though Harry has been back without her since. Founded by Prince Harry, the adaptive sports event was postponed from 2020 to 2021 and then to 2022, but it will now finally take place from April 16 to 22 in The Hague.
In 2020, with Harry and Meghan moving to the United States, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures stated that Harry's security would not be the same when he visited from the U.S., even after he offered to pay for it himself. Harry is now involved in a legal battle with the Home Office, as explained by the BBC, and with this upcoming trip marking a big return to Europe for the couple, protection is a top concern once more.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are facing protection concerns
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had to reestablish their lives since leaving the royal family, and while they want the 2022 Invictus Games to be a huge stepping stone for them, they're also concerned. However, Dai Davies, who was previously in charge of royal protection at Scotland Yard, believes that Prince Harry is worried over nothing. "Most of them now don't get full-time protection or even half-time protection," he said on the topic of the royal family's security. "He would get the same risk assessment as every other royal" (via the Mirror).
There have been reports that, once again, Harry has offered to bring his own security team to Europe. "'The truth is," continued Davies, "I have no doubt that he will be protected, whether he takes his own team or whether the Dutch authorities give him some kind of VIP status."
Furthermore, it is custom for the Dutch royal family to host other royals, but that may not be the case for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Instead of staying with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have to, instead, stay in a hotel, per the Daily Mail. Not getting to meet with the Netherland's royal family may prove to be a big blow to the Sussexes, but only time will tell.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will now reportedly travel as VVIPs
Dai Davies was right: On April 14, just days before the Invictus Games are set to start, it was announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have extra VIP status while traveling. This means there will be a team of security professionals with them, and the couple can rely on officials in The Netherlands as well. This protection, according to The Mirror, includes connections to emergency responders and steps to take in case of a terrorist attack — it also involved the couple undergoing training provided by the security agency.
However, according to The Sun, these measures cannot include armed private security officials. Apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex usually have Gavin de Becker offering protection to them at home. de Becker is an armed security guard who has worked for stars such as Dolly Parton, Joan Rivers, John Travolta, Richard Burton, and Tina Turner (per the South Florida SunSentinel).
But, as Anna Sophia Posthumus, a spokesperson for the Dutch police, told The Sun, "In the Netherlands, only government officials are allowed to carry weapons."
While in Europe, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also be filming as part of their Netflix deal
Something else will set this trip apart for Harry and Meghan: They will reportedly be traveling with a video crew in order to film the Invictus Games for a Netflix documentary series, "Heart of Invictus." As Prince Harry wrote on the Archewell website, "As Archewell Productions' first series with Netflix, in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, I couldn't be more excited for the journey ahead or prouder of the Invictus community for continuously inspiring global healing, human potential, and continued service."
There were even reports that, once again, Harry had thought about bringing his own security team to Europe. This comes less than a month after Harry and Meghan claimed that, because of their concerns surrounding safety, they could not travel to London for Prince Philip's memorial service. Royal expert Phil Dampier discussed the topic with The Daily Mail.
Dampier said, "It is nonsense to say they would not have been given full security had they bothered to attend Prince Philip's memorial service. They would have been in the royal bubble and had full security for the duration of the trip. The security or lack of it was an excuse. The real reason for the no show was the huge rift with the rest of the family."