Piers Morgan has slammed Prince Harry for requesting police protection, paid for by himself, when he visits the UK.
The broadcaster said that it was ‘appalling’ timing for the Royal Family and questioned why the British police should protect him when the Duke of Sussex is now a ‘private citizen’.
Prince Harry, who resides in California with his family, has filed a claim for a judicial review after the Home Office stated he wouldn’t be able to pay for police protection for himself and his family out of his own pocket.
He wants to bring his children Archie and Lilibet to visit the UK but claims he is “unable to return to his home” as it is too dangerous, according to his legal representative.
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Discussing the matter with Sophie Raworth on BBC One’s Sunday Morning, Piers criticised the timing of the news and said he felt “sorry for the Queen” during her Platinum Jubilee year.
He added that he doesn’t “give a damn” if Prince Harry is offering to pay for it.
He said: “It's absolutely chillingly inevitable that these two pop their heads up again right when the queen least wants them to.
“The timing of it is so appalling as well. She's lost her husband, she's got this awful situation with Andrew, and now her grandson has been baiting the royal family, the monarchy, all year, has now popped up from his mansion in California to say that when he comes back to the UK he wants to have the British police protect him.
“Well sorry mate that's now how this works.”
He was interrupted by Sophie who said: “Just to be very clear, he’s not saying that he wants the tax payer to fund his security, he’s saying that he wants the British police to protect him when he’s here and he will pay for it.”
Responding to the statement, Piers said: "Fine, but why should the British police protect him? He's now a private citizen, he doesn't do any royal duties. They’re (the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) making hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Sophie pointed out that Prince Harry is a “very high profile” private citizen but Piers argued that they didn’t deserve their royal titles.
He added: “They are fleecing their royal titles, which they still have while simultaneously trashing the royal family and the institution of the monarch, that his grandmother is the head of and now they want to have their cake and eat it as always and say when we’re back in the country we want to be treated like other royals.
“You’re not ‘other royals’ in fact I wouldn't let them have the royal titles.
“I think there's again a brazen double standard. If you want to let them have the royal titles, do royal duty like your grandmother, who is the pillar of royal duty.”
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