The ongoing saga of Royal Family security arrangements has taken another turn, with Prince Harry’s past frustrations over the stark differences in how he and Prince Andrew were treated coming back into focus as his uncle faces yet another controversy.
When Meghan Markle first joined the Royal Family after marrying Harry, expectations were sky-high. The Sussexes, paired with Prince William and Princess Kate, were quickly dubbed the “Fab Four” by an enthusiastic public and media.
But behind the polished public appearances and seamless execution of royal duties, the reality was far more complicated. Meghan later revealed she struggled with severe mental health issues during this period, even experiencing suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, Harry acknowledged that he and William were growing apart, pursuing increasingly “different paths.”
The announcement that Harry and Meghan wanted to step back from full-time royal duties sent shockwaves through Britain. When the late Queen and her advisors made it clear there would be no “part-time” arrangement for the couple, the consequences came swiftly. Multiple privileges of their royal status were stripped away, including their taxpayer-funded police protection.
In his memoir, Harry described the removal of their security in 2020 as a complete shock. At the time, the couple was in Canada with their infant son, Prince Archie. Borders were closing rapidly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their location had been publicly disclosed. They felt like “sitting ducks.”
Salvation came from an unexpected source: Hollywood mogul Tyler Perry, who offered both his private security team and his mansion as a temporary refuge, providing the family with a desperately needed safe haven.
But what particularly frustrated Harry was the comparison to his uncle, Prince Andrew. In his memoir, Harry revealed that one of the primary reasons he had assured Meghan their security wouldn’t be removed was because of how Andrew had been treated despite his own scandals.
King Charles’s younger brother stepped back from public duties in 2019 following a disastrous Newsnight interview where he discussed allegations of sexual assault—which he strongly denies—and his longtime friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite withdrawing from royal work and being mired in controversy, Andrew retained his police protection.
Harry’s frustration was palpable when he wrote: “Despite being involved in an embarrassing scandal, accused of having sexually abused a young woman, nobody had suggested removing his security. People may have a lot of grievances towards us, but sexual offenses weren’t one of them.”
Now, years later, that disparity continues to resonate. On Friday, Andrew announced he will voluntarily relinquish his duke title and royal honors following a brief phone call with King Charles. Yet despite not being a working royal for six years and facing ongoing scrutiny over his controversies, the security arrangement that so angered Harry remained in place for years.
The contrast between how the two men were treated—one who stepped back to protect his family’s mental health and privacy, the other who withdrew amid scandal—remains a sore point that highlights the complicated and often contradictory nature of royal protocol and privilege.
For Harry, the message seemed clear: proximity to scandal didn’t automatically disqualify you from royal protection, but choosing to leave the institution did. That perception, whether fair or not, continues to shape how the Sussexes view their treatment by the institution and fuel the ongoing tension between Harry and the family he left behind.
