The Sussex childrens’ school run was meant to feel safe and normal but one flash of heavy security made everything suddenly feel exposed.
Meghan Markle shares glimpse into family life back in the UK
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been told that if they had kept a low profile and not arrived in a convoy, there wouldn’t have been a huge fiasco about the school drop off.
Former head of royal protection Dai Davies questioned why it was necessary for the former working royals to bring their two young children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, to school accompanied by a separate security vehicle.
“If you keep a low profile, most people outside the school wouldn’t know where you are, what they’re doing, and all the rest of it,” he told LBC radio.
“Do they really need to go in convoy with two little children on the school run? If they only just kept a little quieter, kept a lower profile, they’d be a lot safer in my view.”
His comments come after Harry and Meghan decided to move their children to a new school following security concerns.
The children had spent just two days at their new school before their parents reluctantly decided to withdraw them.
Harry and Meghan on a recent tour to Australia (Image: Getty)
They have now enrolled at a different school, which is closer to the family home, after heavy traffic and the lengthy journey to the school reportedly put the Sussexes’ security team under strain, Hello! magazine reported.
Security was worried that the children were left “sitting ducks” in stationary traffic and that they would be separated from the family’s car.
Their private protection team had assessed the school and undertaken the journey to and from their home in advance, as this was done in the summer, there was no accurate gauge of term-time traffic.
Sources stressed that the issue was not with the school itself, but due to logistical reasons with getting them to and from their home.
Their security team assessed the new school on Friday, with Archie and Lili popping in on Monday before joining full-time the following morning.
Harry and Meghan’s security are said to be much happier with that choice as the commute is shorter.
And the previous school is relieved the Sussex children are no longer their concern, ITV news reports, as existing parents had complained about roads being blocked off and traffic becoming intolerable.
It comes as the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) has contacted the Duke of Sussex and informed him that his situation was discussed at a meeting last week.
It was decided that Harry would receive a full security review now that he is a UK resident.
Meghan’s security is also getting a government-backed review for the first time since the couple left the UK in 2020.
RNLI shuts down UK lifeboat station after furious migrant protests erupt
Protestors branded RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accused the charity of operating a “collection service”.
Angry protests in Portsmouth this month (Image: Getty Images)
The RNLI has temporarily suspended operations at a Portsmouth lifeboat station after volunteers were subjected to physical and online abuse following protests over migrants brought ashore. Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in Eastney has been out of service since September 10, four days after two RNLI all-weather lifeboats brought 120 migrants to shore following their rescue in the English Channel.
The arrival sparked demonstrations near the station, with protesters branding RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accusing the charity of operating a “collection service”. Police remained at the station in the days afterwards as a precaution amid a surge in threats directed at the RNLI and its personnel. The backlash has also spread online, forcing Eastney RNLI to remove its Facebook page.
Several people have been charged with violent disorder following the late-night protest, while a number of police officers were treated for injuries sustained at the scene.
The RNLI has since taken additional steps to protect its volunteers, including advising some not to wear uniform or branded clothing in public.
The organisation has stressed that the temporary suspension has not left Portsmouth without search and rescue cover.
A charity spokesperson said: “Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has been temporarily off service since 10 September.
“We hope to have the lifeboat station back on service as soon as possible.
“Search and rescue cover continues to be provided through established contingency arrangements, including flank RNLI stations and other declared assets.”
The latest disruption comes after similar problems elsewhere, with Poole Old Lifeboat Museum also closing following incidents in which volunteers were verbally assaulted by anti-migrant protesters.
RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes condemned the abuse, saying it had followed misinformation about the charity’s work.
Mr Sparkes said: “Recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about the RNLI – our purpose, our tasking, and particularly our lifesaving work in the Channel.
“Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse.”
He criticised those responsible as people who “hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard”, describing their “action” as “wholly unacceptable”.
The RNLI said lifeboat stations can sometimes be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or other operational requirements, with contingency arrangements in place to maintain rescue coverage.
The Portsmouth station remains temporarily out of service while those arrangements continue.
The protests followed the arrival of the 120 migrants at Eastney Point on September 6 after the two RNLI lifeboats picked them up while they were attempting to cross the Channel from France.
The RNLI lifeboat was denied access to Southampton and Portsmouth before the passengers were eventually landed at Eastney in Portsmouth.
News of the landing quickly spread, prompting demonstrators to gather near Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in opposition to the migrants being brought into the city.
The protest continued late into the night and descended into violence, with police officers injured during clashes. Multiple people have subsequently been charged with violent disorder.
The RNLI has faced criticism from anti-migrant protesters over its Channel rescue operations, despite the charity saying its role is to respond to people in distress at sea.
The hostility has extended beyond Portsmouth. Volunteers at Poole Old Lifeboat Museum were verbally assaulted during several incidents involving anti-migrant protesters, prompting the museum to close.
The RNLI has warned that misinformation about its work has contributed to abuse directed at staff and volunteers, and has advised them to exercise caution when deciding whether to wear its branded clothing.
The Express has contacted the RNLI for additional comment.