Royal security - who gets it, who should get it?

[wordler]

It seems as though RAVEC will be meeting to reconsider the security needs of the Sussexes I thought it might be interesting to have a thread to contain discussions about it rather than getting lost in the various other topics.

RAVEC = Royal and VIP Executive Committee

For security reasons the entire make-up of the committee isn't usually disclosed but it's thought to be a ten person committee with members from the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, the Royal household, National Security Secretariat representing the Cabinet office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

It's decisions are informed by the Risk Management Board, a sub committee of police officers, security service officials who conduct the risk management and threat assessments.

The board considers and evaluates threat level, public exposure, public profile, and operational considerations (how proportionate should the response be to the threat identified)

Security provided can be full-time 24/7 armed close protection, event specific, or visit-based cover.

24/7 close protection: currently automatic for monarch and heir and their families, PM, some Cabinet members, former PMs, some MPs and former MPs who had specific jobs which put them at risk.

Event-specific: Other working royals when on official business,

Visit-specific: Foreign heads of state and dignitaries coming to the UK, up until the move this is what Harry was offered (he would tell them he was coming and what his plans were and the Risk Management Board would do a risk assessment and provide security if necessary.)

For the 24/7 close protection - apart from the monarch and heir and the former PMs who are currently protected for life, this protection may only last a specific period of time, for example former Northern Ireland secretaries who might be facing a specific targeted threat for a period of time but are downgraded later into their retirement.

It's estimated the the former PMs get a 15 person team to cover their 24/7 needs at a cost of between £1.2 million and £3 million per former PM annually. (Liz Truss!)

If there was a genuine, immediate, credible threat to Harry’s children they’d have security.

RAVEC have been assessing and reviewing royal security for years.

They’re not going to say “oh yeah that threat to the king’s grandkids is serious, but Harry isnae working anymore so let’s just ignore it”.

It would be raised as an issue of “these children need security as a result of X threat, we need to review the security protocols again and work out how these threats are handled”.

For a start the King would have been strongly advised to have Harry live at Windsor, Sandringham or Kensington where the cordon security that already exists would offer a strong layer of protection and he wouldn’t say no to that. And had Harry been offered Frogmore/Royal Lodge/apartment 1A we’d have heard about it.

I think they are likely to be more vulnerable than the NINE living former Prime Ministers.
Im allowed to have an opinion.

But fortunately there are experts to consider these things that will know more than any of us.

This is my take on it. Having been close to two attacks myself I missed the bomb that went off between King's Cross and Russell Square in 2005 only because I had an early meeting at work otherwise I would have been on that train and my neice was injured in the Manchester Arena bombing without security for the Royals I am scared that there would be more attacks leading to innocent bystanders getting killed or injured

If he was so scared of his security why the blazes did he go on about killing Taliban in Spare & who let that be published?

If the Cotswolds is littered with gun toting kidnappers round every corner and the UK is so dangerous in general why have they chosen to relocate here? Why willingly put yourself, your wife and your children in such danger? It’s either extremely bad parenting or more likely they just want the ego trip have having armed security to try and convince themselves they are as important as the Wales family.

I don’t believe he is scared, I suspect he did that to try and make himself a target, just like the non existent high speed car chase, he knows exactly what he is doing.

I don't believe there are many scenarios they would face in the UK that couldn't be adequately managed by a top private security team.

Those firms don't have the same access to the intelligence services but they still have contacts and private investigators and top risk assessors.

And if a credible threat from a foreign or domestic terror became known to the UK intelligence services then RAVEC would immediately contact the Sussexes security and add armed officers to the detail if necessary.

For overexcited fans, the haters who might be tempted to throw the odd rotten tomato or boo, the tabloid hacks and paps - you don't need guns for those situations - just a well trained bodyguard or two.

The big thing about the risk assessment is also about the proportional response.

So there will be racists who say horrible things about Meghan online, and that seems like a potential threat, but in itself it's not enough for 24/7 armed security. The experts way up whether that will definitely turn into an incident.

So the average arm chair racist who is spouting off on Twitter is horrible and can be dealt with by local police charging them with inciting racial hatred. The Sussex security doesn't necessarily have to be boosted with armed officers for that.

But the neo Nazis who were jailed for threatening to shoot Harry for being a race traitor also had materials that were said to be useful to someone carrying a terror attack in their possession. That's the sort of incident which might need a temporary boost of security while it's investigated how large the actual threat is.

The reality is that in the last six years they may have been bothered by paps and journalists and the odd obsessed fan, but there's been no sign of any attacks, when they were in a country with easy access to guns and a much more severe racist problem.

Essentially H&M want 24/7 security to protect them on their renewed PR rehabilitation campaign ?
Whereas if they just stayed at home making jam and doing whatever it is he does they’d be fine .

Agree with all of this. Harry (and it would seem quite a few other people) does not really seem to understand what Met security is for. It is for when there is a threat to life and limb or a risk of large scale disruption. It is not to ensure that the media are kept away, to prevent feelings getting hurty or to look impressive in a motorcade. I’m not sure that Harry is worried about actual danger so much as he concentrates on these other things

I think after a period of time PM's security should be needs based, not automatic.

Maybe 5 years automatic protection after leaving office, after that the threat level is assessed.

For the RF I think head of state (plus spouse), and heir (plus spouse and minor children). Others if there is a specific threat. Which is the current set up.

Harry and Meghan paid for security in the US so they should pay here too if they want and require it. They are private citizens so not entitled to tax payer funded security as do not do any royal duties. Edward, Sophie, Louise and her brother, Beatrice, Eugenie, Zara and their DC don't get it unless they are actively on a royal duty representing King Charles. Lady Louise worked at a garden centre serving members of the public. Princess Ann often goes on trains and buses. Zara takes her DC to horse shows all over the place. Andrew is pretty much universally hated yet he doesn't get tax payer security anymore. Harry chose to brag about killing Taliban members so put a target on his back. That is on him. He got paid well for book so he should use some of that cash to find security. The only royals that should have security are King Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine and their 3 DC who are directly in line to the throne.