The success of Prince Harry‘s quiet trip to Britain shows that anonymity is in fact the best form of security, not round-the-clock police protection, the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay has argued.
Despite reportedly threatening not to bring his wife and children to the UK over concerns for their safety, Buckingham Palace confirmed last Friday that Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet enjoyed a private cup of tea with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove.
The world’s media only learned the meeting had taken place after the family left, via an official statement by the Palace, and it is still not known where Meghan and the children travelled from for the reunion.
Speaking on Palace Confidential, Editor-at-Large Kay said the meeting provides a blueprint for the Sussexes’ future visits and goes to show that much of the ‘drama’ over their safety was overblown.
The success of Prince Harry’s quiet trip to Britain shows that anonymity is in fact the best form of security, not round-the-clock police protection, the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay has argued
Editor-at-Large Kay said the meeting provides a blueprint for the Sussexes’ future visits and goes to show that much of the ‘drama’ over their safety was overblown
‘Harry and Meghan can come in and depart the United Kingdom whenever they like,’ he began.
‘We don’t see photographs of them – unless they want to be photographed. They make such a drama about all of this, and yet the public don’t need to know.
‘By and large, they can slip in and out. All this talk that Harry’s in danger and he needs this wraparound security – well, anonymity is the best form of security of all. No one can cause them harm.
‘I know that sounds slightly glib, but I think it’s an important part of this whole package.
‘Where did they come from? We don’t know… it’s absolutely proof positive that they are able to drop in and drop out of the UK as they please.’
Elsewhere in the YouTube show, Kay questioned whether the Queen would have wanted to attend the meeting with the Sussexes at all, given the ‘astonishing criticisms’ of her in Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare.
The meeting marked the third time Harry has seen his father since Charles became King, and the first time the monarch had seen his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, in more than four years.
The veteran royal reporter speculated that Camilla would have been there on her ‘husband’s orders’, playing the role of ‘referee’ between father and son.
He said: ‘You can understand why Camilla would have wanted to support Charles. I don’t know whether she actually wanted to meet Harry and Meghan, with all the water that’s gone under the bridge.
‘She’s got a very good reason not to want to spend any time in the same room as him. However, she is an important referee… if Harry had tried to persuade his father to do something he was reluctant to, she would have wanted to make sure she was a witness to it all.’
Kay highlighted the selection of Highgrove as a meeting point, given its attachment to childhood memories for Harry
Kay highlighted the selection of Highgrove as a meeting point, given its attachment to childhood memories for Harry.
Highgrove, the King’s private Gloucestershire estate, is where Harry spent much of his childhood, complete with the treehouse and swimming pool he knew as a boy.
‘I think the choice of Highgrove was critical’, Kay said.
‘The playground, the treehouse, the swimming pool are the things Harry remembers from his childhood. Things he’d want to show his children.
‘It was a great diversion… I can imagine it would have helped smooth the time and avoid any awkward silences.’
For more on Harry’s trip to Britain, watch the full episode by subscribing to Palace Confidential on YouTube.
