Meghan Markle Granted First UK Government Security Review Since 2020 as Sussex Family Resettles
Marking a major development in the ongoing dispute surrounding their personal protection, Meghan Markle has been granted her first formal government-backed security review since relinquishing her working royal status in 2020. The decision by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC)—the Home Office entity determining public-funded police protection—follows the Sussex family’s permanent relocation back to the United Kingdom after six years in California.
According to reporting from The Telegraph and confirmed by PEOPLE, the chairman of RAVEC officially notified Prince Harry that changed circumstances prompted the commissioning of two separate threat assessments: a newly updated review for himself and a distinct assessment for the Duchess. To construct an accurate “pattern of life,” RAVEC instructed the couple to submit comprehensive details outlining daily family movements, including travel routines, transit schedules, and specific routes utilized for Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, during their daily school runs.
The assessment represents Meghan’s first official risk analysis since automatic state-funded security was withdrawn in 2020. Prince Harry previously underwent a Risk Management Board (RMB) evaluation in July, though the conclusions were delayed as officials were unaware of the family’s impending long-term return. Pending the final determination of the committee, the Duke and Duchess have been provided with an interim security framework to cover their immediate movements.
The question of security has stood as the core grievance fueling Harry’s estrangement from Britain’s institutional apparatus. After suffering defeats in the High Court in February 2024 and an appellate rejection in May 2025, Harry consistently maintained that lack of armed state security compromised the safety of his family on British soil. Archie and Lilibet’s presence in the UK had been exceptionally rare prior to the relocation, highlighted only by Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and a brief family reunion with King Charles in July 2026.
The initiation of the review operates parallel to rigid institutional boundaries reestablished by the monarch. On September 7, King Charles directed the Lord Chamberlain to distribute a formal guidance memorandum across military and government sectors, reiterating that the Sussexes remain non-working private citizens with zero operational change to their standing. The guidance specifically mandates that state agencies direct requests involving courtesies or public expenditure directly to Buckingham Palace, keeping constitutional demarcations firm while RAVEC independently evaluates tactical threat parameters.