Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements must prioritize discretion following their return to the United Kingdom, according to former Metropolitan Police royal bodyguard Simon Morgan.
Morgan said the current threat level facing Britain and major national institutions, including the royal family, is severe. That makes an unobtrusive approach especially important for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, even though they are no longer working royals.
“Being discreet and unobtrusive is really important. You don’t want to unsettle the environment, as that causes problems,” Morgan told Page Six.
Why does Prince Harry face genuine security risks?
Morgan divided the couple’s security concerns into actual and perceived threats. Some risks, he argued, follow directly from Harry’s background and public profile.
The Duke of Sussex remains a prince and previously served as a British Army officer, completing two operational tours in Afghanistan. He also wrote in his memoir, Spare, about killing Taliban fighters during his military service. Morgan said those disclosures could expose Harry to “genuine security threats.”
Other concerns arise simply because Harry and Meghan are wealthy, internationally recognized public figures. Their status creates possible risks involving their family, money and social position, even when intelligence does not point to a specific plot.
“Therefore, they seek to reduce and mitigate the risks by using security professionals whose job it is to deal with these threats,” Morgan said.
That distinction matters. Hostile online commentary and public disapproval may be unpleasant, but they do not automatically amount to a credible danger. Security teams must assess whether negative sentiment is merely noise or evidence of something more serious. Public opinion, regrettably, does not arrive with a useful label.
How has public hostility affected the Sussexes?
Morgan, who founded specialist security firm Trojan Consultancy, said Harry and Meghan have become increasingly divisive since stepping down from royal duties and moving to California in 2020.
“If we look at the Sussexes’ visibility over recent years, they have alienated large sections of the public and everyone has an opinion,” he said. “Most are negative, some positive and some don’t care.”
The couple returned to Britain at the end of August, six years after their departure, and reportedly moved out of their $14 million Montecito home. King Charles III made clear that Harry and Meghan would remain private citizens rather than resume duties as working members of the royal family.
Morgan stressed that negative attitudes alone do not prove anyone intends physical harm. Establishing whether hostility has developed into an actionable threat depends on intelligence gathering, risk analysis and constant review.
Based on his experience in royal protection and private security, he said the Sussexes’ team will probably have prepared an operational plan covering their movements, appearances and family arrangements.
Why must their protection plan keep changing?
Morgan said an effective security operation must respond quickly when circumstances shift. A fixed plan may look reassuring in a document, but threats have a habit of ignoring administrative convenience.
“That plan needs to be evaluated and it needs to evolve according to changes, intelligence, environmental, media, principals, global events,” he said. “You can’t just create a plan and stick with it no matter what.”
He pointed to reports that Harry and Meghan removed Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, from a new private school after only two days because of security concerns.
“Ultimately, the Sussexes’ team has done that by changing schools,” Morgan said. “It wasn’t working, the risks were too great, they couldn’t be mitigated, so a change was needed.”
Meghan then reportedly encountered another problem after her personal telephone number was shared through a WhatsApp group for parents at the children’s new school.
Morgan said the number should not have been distributed and warned that its exposure could create wider intelligence and privacy risks. He suggested the school or the couple’s team should have used a third-party contact instead.
Can Harry and Meghan still maintain a private life?
Morgan believes the couple can preserve some privacy, but doing so requires extensive planning, professional staff and substantial spending.
“Many people do it, but there are risks associated with A-listers,” he said. “And you have to identify the risks and create a security plan accordingly.”
The larger the public profile, he added, the more personnel, preparation and financial resources are required. For Harry, that question has already become a long-running legal and political dispute. He has sought taxpayer-funded police protection while in Britain, arguing that his family faces serious security concerns.
Harry made his first official appearance after the reported relocation on Thursday, attending the Invictus Spirit Gala Dinner & Awards at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London.
Representatives for Harry and Meghan were contacted for comment. For now, Morgan’s advice is straightforward: remain visible only when necessary, keep arrangements flexible and treat personal information as something more sensitive than a parents’ group chat apparently did.
