Harry and Meghan's return to UK reignites questions over security - BBC

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced a surprise plan to return to the UK this month, relocating from the US to a private, non-royal residence outside London with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, who are enrolled to start school in September.
Their move has reignited debate over publicly funded security in Britain, which was downgraded after they stepped back as working royals in 2020 and settled in California, where they pay for their own private protection team.
The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), an independent body overseen by the Home Office, must now make a fresh decision, as prior arrangements assumed the couple would not live in the UK permanently and treated Prince Harry as an infrequent visitor assessed case-by-case.
Security has long been a source of tension, with Prince Harry losing a legal challenge last year over the protection he and his family were entitled to when visiting the UK.
The Home Office described the UK's protective system as rigorous and proportionate but declined to share details, citing a long-standing policy to protect the integrity of such arrangements.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the couple's security a "private matter" and wished them well, though he does not decide royal security; with no indication the Sussexes will resume full-time royal duties, they may receive only the limited protection given to other non-working royals, potentially fuelling further tension.