Why Prince Harry and Meghan are under heavy guard
Newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan have been given extra security protection – the same level as the Queen and the British Prime Minister – because of comments former soldier Harry made back in 2013.
British special forces are guarding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with sub-machine guns amid fears the couple could be targeted by the Taliban.
In 2013, Harry boasted of blowing “Taliban extremists to pieces” and confirmed he killed Taliban fighters.
When asked if he had killed on duty he said, “Yeah, so lots of people have. The squadron’s been out here. Everyone’s fired a certain amount.”
He added: “Take a life to save a life, that’s what we revolve around, I suppose. If there’s people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we’ll take them out of the game, I suppose.”
The comments caused a stir at the time with the Taliban responding, telling The Guardian: “I think he has a mental problem, that’s why he is saying it is a game. These kind of people live like diplomats in Afghanistan, they can’t risk themselves by standing against the mujahideen [holy warriors].”
According to The Sun, Harry’s comments have come back to haunt him five years on.
While the couple are well protected at Kensington Palace, the royal couple’s countryside home has been beefed up with the same level of anti-terrorist security provided at Buckingham Palace and that protects UK Prime Minister Theresa May and spy bases.
The property is also on a list of properties where members of the public risk being jailed for six months if they are found trespassing.
Locals near the country pad in Cotswolds, in south central England, have reported being stopped by heavily-armed officers, who are believed to be on patrol in the area.
Security for the royal wedding costs £30 million in what became one of the most heavily-guarded events in history.