Prince Harry's planned return to Britain could cost taxpayers up to £5 million a year in round-the-clock security, according to experts cited in British media, sparking debate over public funding for the couple's protection after they stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
The government's Ravec committee is reviewing the Duke of Sussex's security arrangements. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the matter "a private affair" for Harry and Meghan, while the Home Office said Britain's protection system remains "thorough and proportionate". Dai Davies, former head of royal protection at the Metropolitan Police, said the move "has raised the temperature", and a former minister warned of a "taxpayer already stretched hard".
Harry, who told the BBC in 2025 he could barely imagine bringing his family back to Britain, awaits the security review's outcome. Meghan may also return to acting in an unspecified project, her first role since 2018.