Prince Harry’s discreet visit to Britain has underlined a key point about royal security: staying out of sight can be more effective than constant police protection, the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay has said.
Although Harry had reportedly suggested he might not bring Meghan and their children to the UK because of safety concerns, Buckingham Palace confirmed last Friday that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with Archie and Lilibet, had shared a private cup of tea with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove.
The meeting remained entirely under wraps until after the family had left, when the Palace disclosed it in an official statement. It is still unclear where Meghan and the children travelled from before the reunion.
Appearing on Palace Confidential, Editor-at-Large Kay said the low-profile visit could serve as a model for future trips by the Sussexes, arguing that it also suggested much of the “drama” surrounding their security fears had been exaggerated.
Prince Harry’s quiet visit to Britain shows anonymity can be the strongest form of security, rather than round-the-clock police protection, the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay has argued
Editor-at-Large Richard Kay said the private meeting could offer a blueprint for future Sussex visits and indicated that much of the security “drama” had been overstated
“Harry and Meghan can come in and depart the United Kingdom whenever they like,” Kay said.
“We don’t see photographs of them — unless they want to be photographed. They make such a drama about all of this, and yet the public don’t need to know.”
‘By and large, they can slip in and out. All this talk that Harry’s in danger and he needs this wraparound security – well, anonymity is the best form of security of all. No one can cause them harm.
‘I know that sounds slightly glib, but I think it’s an important part of this whole package.
‘Where did they come from? We don’t know… it’s absolutely proof positive that they are able to drop in and drop out of the UK as they please.’
Elsewhere in the YouTube show, Kay questioned whether the Queen would have wanted to attend the meeting with the Sussexes at all, given the ‘astonishing criticisms’ of her in Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare.
The meeting marked the third time Harry has seen his father since Charles became King, and the first time the monarch had seen his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, in more than four years.
The veteran royal reporter speculated that Camilla would have been there on her ‘husband’s orders’, playing the role of ‘referee’ between father and son.
He said: ‘You can understand why Camilla would have wanted to support Charles. I don’t know whether she actually wanted to meet Harry and Meghan, with all the water that’s gone under the bridge.
‘She’s got a very good reason not to want to spend any time in the same room as him. However, she is an important referee… if Harry had tried to persuade his father to do something he was reluctant to, she would have wanted to make sure she was a witness to it all.’
Kay highlighted the selection of Highgrove as a meeting point, given its attachment to childhood memories for Harry
Kay highlighted the selection of Highgrove as a meeting point, given its attachment to childhood memories for Harry.
Highgrove, the King’s private Gloucestershire estate, is where Harry spent much of his childhood, complete with the treehouse and swimming pool he knew as a boy.
‘I think the choice of Highgrove was critical’, Kay said.
‘The playground, the treehouse, the swimming pool are the things Harry remembers from his childhood. Things he’d want to show his children.
‘It was a great diversion… I can imagine it would have helped smooth the time and avoid any awkward silences.’
For more on Harry’s trip to Britain, watch the full episode by subscribing to Palace Confidential on YouTube.
