The Terrifying Reason Prince Harry Keeps Meghan Markle Out Of The UK

Ever since they stepped down from their roles as working royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have received quite a bit of vitriol from both the press and the public. The Sussexes now live in the United States, and they avoid returning to Harry's home country. Harry has real concerns about bringing Meghan back to where he grew up. Therefore, prioritizing his wife's safety above all else may mean that he will never return to the United Kingdom with her by his side. 

In an interview with ITV's "Tabloids on Trial," which aired on July 25, Harry opened up about the fear that prevents Meghan from returning to the U.K. "All it takes is one lone actor — one person who reads this stuff — to act on what they have read," Harry explained, "and whether it's a knife or acid — whatever it is. ... These are things that are genuine concerns for me; it's one of the reasons I won't bring my wife back to this country," Harry said, per YouTube. 

Meghan also opened up about this issue in the couple's Netflix docu-series, "Harry and Meghan." Meghan recalled seeing a tweet that said, "Meghan just needs to die. Someone needs to kill her. Maybe it should be me," per TikTok. "That's what's actually out there in the world because of people creating hate," Meghan said, noting that she remembered subsequently waking up in the middle of the night worried for her family's safety.

For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, having two young children makes the fear associated with death threats, online attacks, and cruelty from the press all the more complicated. Their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, never travel to the United Kingdom because of the lack of security to keep them out of harm's way. The royal family has U.K. police security, but when Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals, their security was taken from them. They offered to pay for the security, themselves, but they were not permitted to do so. 

In response, Harry made a statement to London's High Court. "The U.K. is my home. The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the United States," he said, per People. "That cannot happen if there is no possibility to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil. I can't put my wife in danger like that, and given my experiences in life, I'm reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm's way too." Despite wanting their children to have a relationship with King Charles III and other members of the royal family, it's easy to see why the risk seems too great to Harry and Meghan.

Prince Harry has had more than his fair share of security threats in his life, but his concern surely goes deeper than what he and Meghan Markle have experienced firsthand. Harry was only 12 years old when his mom, Princess Diana, died in a tragic accident after plenty of over-the-top attention from the press. In Netflix's "Harry & Meghan," Harry explained, "My mum was harassed throughout her life with my dad, but after they separated, the harassment went to new levels. I saw things, I experienced things. I learned things — The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution," per Us Weekly.

The trauma Harry endured as a child after losing his mother is surely something he'll do anything in his power to protect his own family from experiencing — and this concern may be more important now than ever. On July 13, former U.S. President Donald Trump was shot at his own campaign rally. When investigating the shooter and searching his phones and laptop, the FBI discovered photos of other public figures including Prince Harry's sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. 

This chilling discovery has prompted extra security for the royals. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! that "security threats are a fact of life for the Royal family," and called Harry "an even more obvious target." According to her, "his concerns about security for himself and his family are legitimate."