So, it looks like California might be on pause; Prince Harry and Meghan could be packing up and heading back to Blighty with Archie and Lilibet next month, and that means one very awkward conversation about security is back on the table.

In a pretty huge twist, the Sussexes are reportedly set to swap the US for a private, non-royal home just outside London, with little Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet lined up to start school here in the UK next month — as reported by cbinews.tv.

And naturally, the big question is: who pays for their protection?

According to the BBC, the Home Office has confirmed that any decision will be made by Ravec, that’s the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, the independent body that handles security for the Royal Family. They were also quite keen to stress that the Prime Minister doesn’t get a say.

“The prime minister does not decide about security for the Royal Family,” the department said.

It’s no secret this has been a sore point for years. Ever since Harry and Meghan stepped back as working royals and moved to California in 2020, security has been a running battle. The Duke actually lost a legal challenge last year after his UK security was downgraded.

The problem now? The old arrangements were based on them not living here full-time. If they do move back permanently, Ravec will have to start from scratch.

The Home Office is staying tight-lipped, saying the UK’s protective security system is “rigorous and proportionate” but adding it’s “our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements” because it could “compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security”.

There’s no suggestion Harry and Meghan are returning as full-time working royals, but their huge public profile, their link to the Firm, and Harry’s military service in Afghanistan will all likely be factored in.

It’s still unclear whether Harry will get the taxpayer-funded protection he’s been pushing for. If not, he could always top it up privately — the couple already have a private security team in the States, though they haven’t said if that team will come with them.

What makes this even more surprising is that Harry previously told the BBC he “can’t see a world” in which he’d bring his family to the UK under the reduced security setup. So this is quite the U-turn.

The move comes just after that family reunion at Highgrove last month, when Harry, Meghan and the kids visited King Charles in Gloucestershire, the first time Charles had seen his grandchildren in person in more than four years, and the couple’s first joint UK visit since 2022.

Harry has spoken openly about wanting “reconciliation” and more time with his father. And timing-wise, it makes sense — the Invictus Games are coming to Birmingham next year, and there will be events to mark the 30th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.

The pair are expected to keep their California base too, with Meghan continuing her media work and online business from the UK.

For now though, all eyes are on Ravec to decide what level of protection is appropriate for Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet as they prepare for a more permanent base back in Britain.

Credit: cbinews.tv

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