A friend says the Duke of Sussex is hesitant to step out with his children out of concern for their safety
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are keeping Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet out of the limelight over concern for their children’s safety.
As Harry fights for increased security for their family of four, the echoes of the 1997 death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a high-speed car chase weighs heavily, particularly now that he is a parent.
“Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats,” a friend tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story. “He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm.”
The friend adds, “As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.”
Multiple well-placed insiders in Prince Harry’s circle tell PEOPLE that the Duke of Sussex believes his father, King Charles, has the power to reinstate his security Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source tells PEOPLE the notion that Harry’s security is in the King’s hands is “wholly incorrect”
The issue has shifted their conversation from frustration to “complete silence” from the King, says the friend.
The Duke of Sussex has also taken the battle to court, where he lost his bid to restore his taxpayer-funded security earlier this year. (He has plans to appeal.)
Exactly what is stopping Harry from securing the protection he seeks is a matter of bitter contention. Constitutionally, King Charles has no governmental power in the U.K., and the power to bestow police protection lies with the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), which operates on behalf of the U.K. government.
With both sides firmly entrenched — and Harry’s brother Prince William seemingly aligned with their father — any hope of reconciliation appears distant at best.
KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY
Despite the discord, Harry “doesn’t want to fight about this anymore. He wants to have a relationship with his family,” a friend says.
KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY
For her part, Meghan, 42, “supports Harry 100 percent, but she wishes he could let go of these lawsuits, be happy and live in the moment,” according to a former employee of their Archewell Foundation.
“She wants him to be free of all of this, but she also knows that because of everything he’s been through and his love for [her and their children], he can’t. She wants him to live in a world where he is not burdened by this,” says the former staffer.
News
Explanation of the unseen world of the Rings of Power in The Lord of the Rings
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has begun to explore a fascinating aspect of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth lore: the Unseen. It came up briefly in the first season, starting with the episode “Udûn.” When Galadriel…
Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings had been preparing for the War of the Ring long before it began
The Lord of the Rings franchise is returning with all-new films, including the animated War of the Rohirrim and the upcoming live-action project The Hunt for Gollum. As fans anxiously wait to return to Peter Jackson’s beloved adaptation of Middle-earth, now is the perfect…
The most terrifying creature in The Lord of the Rings isn’t the much larger Smaug
In The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth is no stranger to enormous creatures. From the Balrog of Moria to Shelob in Mordor, Tokien’s world is filled with oversized monstrosities that terrorize those unfortunate enough to cross their paths. One such creature…
The dwarves were created long before the Elves awoke, but where are they in The Lord of the Rings films?
Dwarves in Middle-earth have a reputation for being grumpy, self-centered, and caring only for wealth since the middle of the First Age, sometimes with good reason. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Elrond tells Gandalf that the One Ring can’t stay…
The Acolyte vs. The Rings of Power: How toxic fandoms can’t shape modern television
The year 2024 has been marked by some of the biggest controversies in the history of modern television. Sure, there have been controversial projects over the years, but today’s culture is different. With everyone having Internet access, it is easier…
Why does Galadriel become ‘malicious’ and what is the significance of her dark form in The Lord of the Rings?
Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings remained largely faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal fantasy work. However, some characters — like the superpowerful Tom Bombadil and the resurrected Elf Glorfindel — didn’t receive their due. Still, while most fans were…
End of content
No more pages to load