Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle reveal how they met in first TV interview
Security planning for the royal wedding is likely already underway, with Meghan Markle due to undergo an induction to royal life at the SAS "Killing House" in Herefordshire according to news.com.au.
That's according to Intelligent Protection International's CEO Alex Bomberg who previously worked as a royal aide at Kensington Palace in the mid-1990s and served in the British military.
He said Prince Harry's new fiancee will have little time to waste when it comes to her familiarisation with royal life that will include information on how her close protection officer will operate and code words or signs that can be used in public if she becomes uncomfortable.
It will also include a visit to the SAS "Killing House" in Herefordshire where the elite group train in close quarter battles and hostage situations. It's where Princess Diana, Prince Charles and reportedly Kate Middleton were taken to prepare for a royal life and is designed for live shooting.
"They do get put through a rescue situation. Certainly when Diana and Charles did it, Diana was put into a chair and the lights were out and the SAS barged in. It's that sort of scenario that they can expect," Bomberg said, adding that she's also likely to receive defensive driver training.
Kensington Palace refused to comment on security matters.
While Prince Harry was "well known for giving his royal protection the slip" in the past, Bomberg said the US actor will "have to get used to having somebody on her shoulder 24/7".
"It's a restricted lifestyle — they're very oppressed. They're living in a cocoon if you like. You can't just pop out, they have to tell people where they're going," Bomberg said.
"After what happened with [Diana, Prince Harry] will have a real eye on how the press treat Meghan. That will be very tightly managed. That to them is as much a threat as some crazy guy."
Meghan Markle is expected to undergo a hostage training scenario at an SAS base. Photo / AP
The squad charged with protecting the royals cover a huge raft of potential threats ranging from terror attacks to lone-wolf intruders who may have mental health issues.
Complicating things even further is the family ethos that demands accessibility to the public is paramount, and the need to keep security costs low while protecting the royal brand.
That's balanced against allowing family members to live a normal life while discreetly heading off anything that could prove a PR disaster. Bomberg said Prince George's playdates, for example, will have their families vetted and Meghan can now expect the same.
"The security is not going to dictate who [Prince George's] friends are but things will be noted and decisions will be made. The same with Meghan — anyone she has close contact [with] now will be scrutinised at some level. We're not just talking about security threats but it's public relations, brand management. They don't want to have people around them doing bad things."
The comments come after Markle has faced a slew of reports poring over her career, family, previous marriage and who exactly set her up with the Prince following news of their engagement.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man was arrested for trying to climb a wall into Buckingham Palace and UK media reports the monarch has expressed "concern" about a security shake-up that could see her assigned police officers from a pool, in a snapshot of the concerns royal protection officers face.
Bomberg said royal security is now more "intelligence led" than it ever has been with a lot of covert work carried out behind the scenes to ensure the royals are safe when meeting the public on the streets.
"The last thing they want is American-style security where they're surrounded by 10 blokes, but what you see you can maybe triple that [number of staff] plus the police cordon," he said.
Having worked on security for Catherine and William's wedding in 2011, the former soldier said planning for Harry and Meghan's May nuptials would already be underway, aided by the fact Windsor is a well-known venue that routinely hosts royal events.
"At the moment they be just putting the basic plan together, looking at cordoning, control of crowds, what CCTV coverage there is. It would be quite basic things, because that's an area used all the time for ceremonial stuff." he said.
"One of their biggest things at an event like that is not necessarily an attack on the royals but big crowd security."
