What do Prince Harry and the King of Pop have in common? And what does it have to do with the
Queen's Jubilee celebrations? Keep watching to learn about their surprising connection.
Some Brits aren't exactly celebrating Meghan and Harry's involvement in the Queen's Jubilee
celebrations, but the celebrity couple is attending whether critics like it or not.
Before their attendance at the event was confirmed,
the Duke of Sussex admitted that security issues were stalling their plans.
"Lots of things, security issues and everything else, so this is what I'm trying to do,
trying to make it possible that, you know, that I can get my kids to meet her."
The prince had just been reunited with his beloved grandmother, alongside wife Meghan Markle,
and shared how lovely it was to have a proper catch-up after months apart.
As Insider notes, the Sussexes gave up their right to taxpayer-funded security
when they defected from the royal family in early 2020. However, according to Simon Morgan,
who worked with the queen from 2007 to 2013 as a royal protection officer,
the couple shouldn't be allowed to fund their own protection for the Jubilee. Morgan told Insider,
"When you get to a point where you can pay for it, that would set a difficult precedent. Because
if you can pay for it, it can effectively go to the highest bidder. Anyone with a certain
degree of wealth could pay for it ... you're looking at needs versus wants for protection."
Likewise, Morgan asserted there aren't enough people working in the field to satisfy the demand.
Although it remains to be seen how the couple will tackle their upcoming visit to the U.K.,
at home in California, Meghan and Harry have a celebrity bodyguard leading their team,
with a surprising connection to Michael Jackson.
The Sun confirms the couple has hired Michael Jackson's former bodyguard,
Alberto Alvarez, to protect their family going forward,
publishing photos showing the burly man biking alongside Harry in California.
Alvarez notably testified at the legendary pop star's 2011 trial
and was also the one who called 911 on the night Jackson died in 2009. In a preliminary
2011 hearing to decide whether or not Jackson's physician
should stand trial for manslaughter, the bodyguard provided crucial testimony.
Alvarez has worked with the likes of One Direction
and other high-profile stars over many years in the industry. A source told the tabloid,
"[Alvarez] knows every trick in the book of keeping them out of harm's
way. He is discreet and was extremely loyal to Michael. He and Harry seem like a good match
and Harry hopes he's the man to look after him and his family."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's security, or lack thereof, has been in the spotlight recently
after the duke claimed he was unable to visit the U.K. after being refused police protection.
The Home Office prohibited Harry from paying for a security detail himself so as not to impose
on the British taxpayer, but he appealed the decision. According to a legal representative,
he needs protection due to the "inherited security risk" associated with Harry's royal
status and his worldwide fame. As the prince's lawyer explained in a statement to Express,
"He remains sixth in line to the throne,
served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected
to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats. While his role within the Institution has changed,
his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family."
At home in California, the Sussexes fund their own team,
but, in the U.K., the government currently prevents them from doing likewise.
Per Express, during Harry's recent visit to the Netherlands in support of the Invictus Games,
he was ably protected by the local police, leaving their British equivalents looking
even worse in comparison. Footage shared on social media showed police stopping
traffic to allow for an escort to transport the duke through The Hague.
Fans railed against England for neglecting to adequately support one of their own.
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