Police respond to security incident at Harry and Meghan’s children’s school: reports
Updated . First published
Two men are under investigation by police in the UK after they were seen surveilling the school attended by Prince Harry and Meghan’s children, according to British media.
The reported security scare comes just weeks after Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, were moved to a different school − closer to the family’s new home in the Cotswolds − after the Sussexes’ private team of bodyguards identified potential issues with traffic jams during drop off and pick up.
Two men were seen “doing reconnaissance” near Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s new school, sparking an investigation. Instagram/@Meghan
ITV News′ Royal Editor Chris Ship first reported the incident on Wednesday morning Australian time after a white van was seen near the school.
An insider told the news outlet that two individuals wearing backpacks had been seen “scouting out” the children’s school before driving away in their rented vehicle.
The men had been “doing reconnaissance” on the school “for a number of hours” using a white van, the outlet reports.
Police have since identified the van as being a rented vehicle via its registration plate.
It’s believed the driver’s licence used to make the reservation belongs to an international photographer with both men believed to be paparazzi.
Representatives for Prince Harry and Meghan have previously pleaded with media organisations to withhold the name of the school the children attend (both the original and the new one) and the location of their new home in the Cotswolds.
Britain’s Independent Press Standards Organisation has also requested journalists show restraint when it comes to identifying places frequented by the Sussexes.
But the rules do not apply to international outlets and the photographers they hire.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s children have been at their new school for just two weeks after moving back to the UK. Instagram/@meghan
Details of the incident have since been passed on to the Home Office committee, known as RAVEC, which is currently assessing Harry and Meghan’s bid for police protection while they are living in the UK.
The Sussexes are waiting to hear whether they will receive taxpayer-funded security with a review currently underway.
Authorities have given Prince Harry and Meghan the phone number of a police liaison officer if something were to happen. Their private bodyguards are not allowed to carry firearms in the UK and don’t have access to any state-level intelligence.
The duke has previously dismissed the current arrangement as having “zero security” as it would take police many minutes to reach him and his family should they face an attack.
The Duke of Sussex has been seen in public several times since returning to the UK but Meghan has kept out of the spotlight. Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP
Prince Harry has previously insisted it was unsafe for his wife and children to be in the UK without armed guards.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to Britain a month ago for what has been described as an “extended stay”.
While Prince Harry has carried out several public engagements since being back, Meghan has so far remained out of the spotlight.
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