Unearthed Queen Elizabeth Letter Sparks Debate Over Harry & Meghan's Security Woes
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security battle with U.K. police has been messy, and it only continues to get messier as more information is revealed. Harry is still dealing with a libel case against Associated Newspapers Ltd. (the company that owns publications such as Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail), due to an article published in 2022 that alleged Harry kept his attempted acquisition of publicly funded U.K. security secret (via NBC News). Despite Harry's efforts to avoid going to court, the case will go to trial. However, a new piece of evidence in the case may contradict what Harry published in his memoir. According to the Daily Telegraph (via The U.S. Sun), Harry wrote in "Spare" that he and Meghan had were left high and dry by the royal family when they asked for security. But an unearthed letter from Queen Elizabeth II expressed a similar concern over their security.
Penned by the Queen's senior aide Sir Edward Young and sent to Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, the letter (shared by The Sunday Times) stated that, "You will understand well that ensuring that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain safe is of paramount importance to Her Majesty and her family" (via People). It also explained how due to Harry and Meghan's status, " ... it is imperative that the family continues to be provided with effective security."
Harry and Meghan lost their security detail in February 2020, a month after they announced they would no longer be working royals. Now, the publication of the Queen's letter has people divided.
The letter has split public opinion
On the gossip subreddit Fauxmoi, someone shared a post stating that Queen Elizabeth II's letter was proof Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were correct all along. The poster said, "Harry claims in his book, 'Spare,' that the Queen no longer had power in her last years of reign, and certain palace staff members were the [ones] controlling everything while using her name ... " They believed the letter confirmed that, as the queen's requests regarding the Sussexes security detail were seemingly ignored.
However, The U.S. Sun pointed out how Harry's recent statement in court about safety concerns is different from what he and Meghan said when they first left the royal family in 2020. When they first made moves to exit their royal roles, Harry and Meghan made it sound like their own decision, not something they were doing out of desperation or necessity. The Duke of Sussex's statement read during the libel case said, "It was with great sadness to both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020." He continued saying that he couldn't make the U.K. a home for his kids, " ... if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil."
The libel case isn't Harry's only active lawsuit against the press — his lawsuit against the Daily Mail has Elton John and other celebs as plaintiffs too and has yet to go to trial. But, it will be interesting to see if more discoveries such as the queen's lost letter will complicate these legal debates even further.