Harry and Meghan face criticism over handling of school security incident

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have faced criticism from a former Metropolitan Police protection chief and a royal commentator over their handling of a recent incident involving photographers near their children's school in Britain.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have faced criticism from a former Metropolitan Police protection chief and a royal commentator over their handling of a recent incident involving photographers near their children’s school in Britain.

Dai Davies, a former head of royal protection, told The Sun that the presence of paparazzi did not amount to a security incident and questioned the significance of incidents cited by the couple’s security team.

“Paparazzi is not a security incident. It is just to be expected,” Davies said. “It’s not unrealistic to expect some paparazzi who will chance their arm; the security team can deal with that easily.”

Davies also criticized a comparison between the school incident and a recent security incident at RAF Fairford, saying: “There’s no comparison to Fairford. It’s bordering on shameless but ridiculous as well.”

Royal author Robert Jobson also criticized the couple’s handling of their security concerns, telling The Sun that their public statements could affect discussions with the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), which reviews protective security arrangements for senior public figures.

“It is a calculated and cynical strategy to get their security paid for by the public,” Jobson said.

The comments followed a statement from Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson describing the behavior of photographers near their children’s school as “extraordinarily reckless” and an “unacceptable intrusion” into the children’s privacy.

The spokesperson said two men carrying backpacks had been seen by private security and school staff walking around the school’s perimeter and looking into the grounds. Police later determined that a vehicle used by the men was a rental vehicle and identified one of them as an international photographer working for a European press agency, according to Sky News.

The couple’s comments came shortly after a separate security incident at RAF Fairford, where police arrested several people in connection with a suspected terrorism-related plot. The Sussexes’ spokesperson said the timing made the photographers’ conduct particularly concerning.

RAVEC is separately reviewing Harry and Meghan’s publicly funded police protection following their return to Britain. The committee oversees protective security arrangements for members of the royal family and other public figures.