On Sunday, the Telegraph reported that a known stalker came within feet of Prince Harry last month during his four-day visit to the UK. The stalker approached Harry and his private security team in London, at two separate events. Weeks ago, the Daily Mail claimed that Harry did have some police protection during his stay, but it was only for one day, and it was specifically around the WellChild Awards. The Mail claims that the Metropolitan Police got in touch with Harry’s team and offered the protection and security sweep without authorization from Ravec and the royal family. But after the WellChild Awards, Harry was left with his own private security. The Daily Express had even more about the stalker:
Prince Harry’s female ‘stalker’ was found hiding in the toilets just 20 minutes before the Duke arrived at an event in London last month. Harry was attending an event at The Royal Lancaster Hotel, West London, ahead of the WellChild Awards on September 8. The woman was removed from the hotel after suspicions were raised. Security was alerted after the woman was heard making strange comments about Harry in the women’s toilets of the hotel.
She was then pictured next to his car. Sources said that she made another appearance two days later when she had to be body blocked as Harry left an engagement at Imperial College’s Centre for Blast Injury Studies.
A source revealed: “There was no police presence or close protection. It was left to two staffers from his office to intervene. This time, they got lucky.”
It is believed that the woman is on a list os known people that Harry’s security team are aware of. She had followed the Prince and his wife, Meghan, on their trip to Nigeria last year.
The detail about this woman following the Sussexes to Nigeria is bonkers, but so is everything about her getting close to Harry in London. Are we absolutely sure that this woman isn’t a member of the royal rota? Does she have a press pass? Just asking.
Anyway, we’re having these conversations not only because of this particular stalker, but because even security specialists are unsettled by King Charles’s refusal to extend protection to the Sussexes when they visit the UK. The Telegraph’s royal reporter Victoria Ward spoke to Neil Basu, the former head of the UK’s Counterterrorism unit, and this interview is chock full of interesting information. Basu says what we all know already: that the Sussexes’ security was withdrawn for family/personal/petty reasons, because Charles and Clive Alderton (Charles’s private secretary) want Harry and Meghan in danger. It’s not like the police would decide, out of nowhere, that Harry in particular needs to be without security. Basu said that he believes Charles has the power to single-handedly order the Sussexes’ protection.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
