Prince Harry is likely to double down on his security concerns after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was allegedly threatened last week, a royal editor claims.
On Wednesday, a man in a ski mask allegedly sprinted at Andrew, yelling abuse, as he walked his dogs near his Marsh Farm residence in Norfolk, UK.
He got within 50 yards of the disgraced former prince – whose private security provision was withdrawn by the King in 2024 following revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein – and his private, unarmed bodyguard.
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The alleged incident involving Andrew has brought Prince Harry’s security fight back into the spotlight. (Getty)
The Daily Beast’s royal editor Tom Sykes says the Duke of Sussex, who has long appealed for his own police protection to be restored in the UK, has been “made aware” of the incident, which represents his ‘worst security nightmare’.
“[W]hile he has not yet shared his reaction with these sources, they said it’s reasonable to assume he will be seriously concerned, and will now double down on his position that he simply cannot bring his wife Meghan and their children back to the United Kingdom. without a comprehensive security package in place,” Sykes wrote.
“Whatever you think of Harry … the attempted attack on Andrew shows that a way must be found to make him secure when he visits the U.K.”
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The Duke of Sussex has vowed he won’t bring his family to the UK without police protection. (WireImage)
Harry, who lost his state-funded security following his ‘royal exist’ with wife Meghan in 2020, argues the risk he faces was inherited at birth and has only increased since he moved to the US.
He has refused to bring his family back to the UK without full police protection, fearing their lives are at risk.
The duke is now awaiting the outcome of a full review into his security arrangements, which the Home Office ordered in December.
This followed Harry’s defeat in a high-profile legal challenge over his right to automatic taxpayer-funded protection.
Following Wednesday’s incident, a source close to Andrew told The Telegraph UK his security provision should be reviewed given the risk to his safety.
“Even though Andrew is no longer a working member of the Royal family, the threat to his personal safety is greater than ever,” they claimed.
“In fact, it could be argued that he is actually more at risk, not only from a potential terror attack but also from individuals who have become fixated due to all of the coverage he has attracted over recent years.”
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond echoed this to The Mirror, saying the incident has proven Andrew “is a target and needs security”.
Andrew “won’t let the King forget” he’s a target and in need of security, a former BBC royal correspondent said. (AP)
“And I don’t think he will let the King forget it,” she added.
“[Andrew] will probably feel even more resentful that he has been banished to the more public surroundings of Sandringham,” she added.
“This will obviously make Andrew more nervous about going out, but he does always appear to have at least one bodyguard with him — and the fact is, he escaped without harm.”