The Duchess of Sussex's mobile number is being shared by parents at the school Prince Harry and Meghan's children had just started, it was reported. Screenshots from a WhatsApp group titled 'Year 3' that Meghan had joined were said to be circulating online, in a further security blow to the couple.
An alleged screenshot of the chat showed the duchess introducing herself with a message reading: 'Hi moms! Thanks for the warm welcome [heart emoji]. So happy to be a part of this community xx'
The Sussexes refused to comment, but sources close to them said it was disappointing that fellow parents would seek to share such information.
Meghan is understood to have joined the group the night before Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet started at the school. It later emerged that Harry and Meghan had 'reluctantly' removed their children from the school after just two days over security fears about traffic.
The family's bodyguards warned the couple that the busy commute was placing their protection unit 'under strain'. A journey supposed to take around 35 minutes lasted as long as an hour during rush hour, and on one occasion a convoy carrying the prince and princess is said to have become separated, leaving the children 'sitting ducks' in stationary traffic.
Parents react to the school switch
One mother with two children at the school said Harry and Meghan's decision to send their children there had been a coup and had excited many parents, but added: 'Parents at the school are completely baffled. You don't need to be an expert to know how congested that area is. It's one of the worst places to drive in the UK.'
Another mother said of the slow school run: 'This was obviously going to happen.' News of the WhatsApp leak was initially reported by The Sun.
Friends of the couple stressed that the decision to withdraw the children was not an issue with the school itself. Archie and Lilibet will now join another school where they have already attended taster sessions, and the Sussexes' security team are said to be much happier that the new school will be a shorter commute from the family home.
Questions over planning
The episode has sparked questions over why the family's drivers only tested the route during the summer holidays, amid claims that their return to the UK was 'rushed'. Their private protection team were seemingly unable to properly assess the hour-long journey after the Sussexes announced the move in late August.
Former Met Police Chief Superintendent Dal Babu said: 'It does beggar belief why they haven't thought this through. I don't think [Harry] has helped himself or the situation by not arranging things in good time.'
Former head of royal protection Dai Davies told LBC radio: '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. 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.'
Labour MP Mike Tapp, who represents Dover and Deal in Kent, said he believes the Sussexes have been left exposed. 'Nearly three weeks after their arrival, the King's son, Meghan, and their children remain without protection,' he said. 'Whatever the eventual outcome, there are serious questions about how this process has been handled. In the cold light of day, there should be a proper review to ensure decisions of this importance are made swiftly, independently and on the basis of risk.'
Harry's police protection under review
The schools development came as it emerged that Harry's demand for taxpayer-funded police protection is being 'reviewed' now that he is back in Britain. The duke and duchess are said to have been informed that a decision was made at a meeting last week to examine the threat to both of them.
Harry has been at loggerheads with the Home Office for years over its decision to remove his automatic right to security, arguing he was born a prince and needs police protection when in the UK. He lost a series of legal battles against the Home Office, which deemed he had forfeited the right to call at will on taxpayer-funded protection after quitting as a frontline royal in 2020 and starting a new life in California.
ITV News said the Home Office committee that decides on security provision for high-profile royals and politicians, known as Ravec, has written to Harry informing him a 'full review' will take place. Some in Harry's camp had accused Buckingham Palace of trying to scupper last week's Ravec meeting with King Charles's letter making clear the Palace's view that the Sussexes were 'private citizens' rather than working royals. Harry and Meghan were taken by surprise by the letter and would prefer to be known as 'public figures', sources close to them said.
ITV News royal correspondent Chris Ship said: 'It was decided that Harry should get a full review of his security now that he is resident in his home country and his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have started classes at a British school.'
The review, known as a Risk Management Board, is being conducted for both Harry and Meghan, and would be the first review of potential risks facing Meghan since the couple left the monarchy in 2020. Harry had a new Risk Management Board completed in July, eight weeks earlier, but this was carried out before those assessing his case knew about his plans to relocate his family to the UK.
Currently, the only protection the Sussexes have been given by British police is the phone number of a police liaison officer, which Harry has been told to call should he need help. He believes this amounts to essentially zero protection, as it would take officers a long time to reach him were he or his family in distress.
Harry's long fight over security
Harry argues he is the son of the British monarch, fifth in line to the throne, and a veteran of the British Army who completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He was criticised by some British officers over his 2023 memoir Spare, in which he wrote about the number of people he killed fighting the Taliban, with some suggesting this had increased his need for protection.
Scotland Yard does not discuss the security arrangements of royals, but it is understood protection is arranged on a case-by-case basis and is constantly under review. Harry has been afforded police security at some recent UK events, such as charity evenings.
Harry and Meghan also pay millions for private security. In America their bodyguards may be able to shoot people deemed a threat, but in Britain their close protection agents are not allowed to carry guns, which is said to explain why the duke is keen to reinstate his automatic police protection.
The Home Office said: 'The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security.'
