Why are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly concerned about their safety as they travel
to the Netherlands?
And will they be greeted by the Dutch royal family?
Keep watching to find out.
According to Harper's Bazaar, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are traveling to Europe
for the Invictus Games.
It's their first international trip together since they stepped back from their royal duties
in 2020.
In fact, this will mark Meghan's first time in Europe since leaving the royal family,
though Harry has been back on his own.
The Invictus Games were founded by Prince Harry, so of course he'd want to be there.
The adaptive sports event was postponed in 2020 and 2021, but it will now finally take
place from April 16 to 22 in The Hague.
Since Harry and Meghan moved to the United States in 2020, the Executive Committee for
the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures has stated that Harry's security would not
be the same when he travels, even after he offers to pay for it himself.
The BBC reports that Harry is now involved in a legal battle with the Home Office, and
with this upcoming trip marking a big return to Europe for the couple, protection is a
top concern once more.
"I never thought that I would have my security removed, because I was born into this position.
I inherited the risk."
Dai Davies, who was previously in charge of royal protection at Scotland Yard, believes
that Prince Harry is worried over nothing.
The Mirror quoted him as saying,
"He would get the same risk assessment as every other royal.
[...] Most of them now don't get full-time protection or even half-time protection."
There have been reports that, once again, Harry has offered to bring his own security
team to Europe.
The Independent reported that Davies added,
"The truth is, 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."
Indeed, on April 14, just days before the Invictus Games were set to start, the Dutch
police announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have so-called "VVIP" 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 and "extraction process" in case of a terrorist attack.
It also involved the couple undergoing training provided by the security team.
However, according to The Sun, these measures cannot include armed private security.
Apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex usually have security expert Gavin de Becker
offering them protection at home.
According to the South Florida SunSentinel, de Becker has worked for a long list of celebrities
including Dolly Parton, John Travolta, and Tina Turner.
A spokesperson for the Dutch police told The Sun,
"In the Netherlands, only government officials are allowed to carry weapons."
The security concerns come after Harry and Meghan claimed that, because of their worries
about safety, they could not travel to London for Prince Philip's recent memorial service
at Westminster Abbey in March 2022.
Harry did attend Philip's funeral in April 2021.
Royal expert Phil Dampier told the Daily Mail,
"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."
"I just don't think there's any excuse for him not to attend this memorial."
"He says he doesn't feel safe."
"Well…"
"What are you talking about?"
Something else will set this trip apart for Harry and Meghan: They will reportedly be
traveling with a video crew to film the Invictus Games for a Netflix documentary series, "Heart
of Invictus."
As Prince Harry wrote on the website of his and Meghan's nonprofit organization, Archewell,
"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."
It's also customary for the Dutch royal family to host other royals when they're in the country,
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 stay in a hotel, the Daily Mail reports.
Not getting to meet with the royal family of the Netherlands may also prove to be a
big blow to the Sussexes, but only time will tell.
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