The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are two of the most talked-about people in the world. And since their departure from royal life and relocation to Montecito, California, this has reached new heights.
The royal couple has carved a new path away from the Mountbatten-Windsors since their 2020 move, and from their recent tours in Nigeria and Columbia, to the launch of Meghan Markle’s American Riviera Orchard brand, the Duke and Duchess are more talked about than ever.
It was their ongoing UK security battle that made headlines this week, with royal commentators calling out a strange “double standard” between Prince Harry and Taylor Swift.
Security measures for the Sussexes have long been debated, with Prince Harry and his family denied the right to automatic police protection when in the UK, following their step away from royal life.
This decision has been challenged in the past by the Duke of Sussex, with the royal couple receiving numerous threats before their 2020 move.
The debate grew even louder this week, after it was reported that Taylor Swift received heightened security measures during her London Eras tour this summer.
The 34-year-old singer reportedly received police protection and an escort between her hotel and Wembley concert venue in August, following the terror threats that forced her to cancel her Vienna shows. And with this level of protection usually reserved for royal family members and political figures, some commentators have been calling out the “double standard” between Swift and Prince Harry’s cases.
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“I’d say there’s a double standard,” explained royal and political commentator Shola Mos-Shogbamimu to Newsweek. “Why would you let her go up and down without police protection, knowing fully well that there were the terror alerts? And the same can be said for Prince Harry.”
She continued: “The same grounds that exist for giving her protection are the same grounds that exist for giving Prince Harry protection, especially since his reasons are long-standing.
“The threats, the death threats – and I would call it domestic terrorism that he and his family face – is real, so it does make sense that he gets police protection,” she later added.
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“It’s still dangerous,” Prince Harry explained about his safety concerns earlier this year, as part of new documentary, Tabloids on Trial. “And all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read. Whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is – and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
We will continue to update this story.