ROYAL DRAMA: RAVEC Makes Major Meghan Decision As Sussex Security Crisis Deepens
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly set to undergo fresh security assessments in Britain as officials reconsider the couple’s protection arrangements following their return to the UK.
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee, known as RAVEC, is said to be accelerating the process after the Sussex family relocated back to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
According to a report cited by People, both Harry and Meghan are expected to receive separate official risk assessments, with the process described as imminent.
The development does not mean that either of them has automatically been granted enhanced police protection.
Instead, the assessments are expected to examine the risks they face now that their circumstances have changed from occasional visits to living in Britain on a more regular basis.
Harry and Meghan Asked to Provide Daily Schedules
RAVEC reportedly indicated last week that Harry would undergo a new assessment, while a separate review would also be commissioned for Meghan.
As part of that process, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have apparently been asked to provide detailed information about their routines.
That is said to include public engagements as well as regular family activities, such as taking Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, to school.
The information would help security officials assess how predictable the family’s movements are and what level of risk may exist around their daily lives.
Harry has long raised concerns about his family’s protection while in Britain and has previously sought changes to the security arrangements available to him.
Reports had suggested that some consideration of his protection had already taken place before the family’s move back to the UK.
However, officials are now said to believe the situation requires a fresh look because permanently or semi-permanently living in Britain creates different security considerations from making occasional visits.
School Change Adds New Urgency
The security review comes only days after Harry and Meghan moved Archie and Lilibet to another school because of concerns raised by their private protection team.
The children had reportedly spent just a short time at their original school before the Sussexes reconsidered the arrangement.
Their representatives have stressed that the decision was not connected to any problem with the school, its teachers or the care provided to the children.
Instead, concerns centred on the practicalities of the school run.
Reports claimed heavy term-time traffic, the length of the journey and difficulties keeping the family’s convoy together created problems for the Sussexes’ small private security team.
One incident is also said to have involved disruption to the vehicles travelling together, increasing concerns about how safely the journey could be repeated every day.
That episode has brought renewed attention to the distinction between private protection and the security available through the state.
Harry and Meghan’s return to Britain means ordinary routines such as school runs are now part of the wider assessment of what level of protection may be required.
Final Decision Has Not Been Made
Despite reports that the assessment process has been accelerated, RAVEC has not yet announced a final decision regarding Harry or Meghan’s security arrangements.
Officials are still considering what measures, if any, should be put in place following the reviews.
The separate assessments are therefore an important procedural step rather than confirmation that the Sussexes will receive a particular level of police protection.
Harry’s longstanding concerns about security have become even more prominent since the family returned to Britain and began establishing daily routines with Archie and Lilibet.
For the Sussexes, the upcoming reviews could provide greater clarity over how they will be protected as they continue living in the UK.
But until RAVEC completes its deliberations, questions over whether Harry and Meghan’s security arrangements will ultimately change remain unresolved.
