'Disgusting' threats against Meghan Markle in the UK were 'very real', confirms former MET Police chief

Meghan Markle faced 'disgusting' and 'very real' threats when she was living in the UK after marrying Prince Harry, the former head of counter-terrorism for the Metropolitan Police has revealed. 

• Meghan Markle faced 'disgusting' and 'very real' threats when she was living in the UK, the former head of royal protection has revealed.
• Neil Basu, the ex-chief of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police, said that the Duchess of Sussex's safety was 'absolutely' at risk when she was living in the UK.
• in other royal news, Prince William and Princess Kate's nicknames from close family member revealed - and one of them is very unflattering.
  

'Disgusting' and 'very real' threats were made to Meghan Markle's life when she was living in the UK, the former head of counter-terrorism for the Metropolitan Police has revealed. 

Appearing on Channel 4 News, Neil Basu said that the Duchess of Sussex faced grave security risks after she married Prince Harry in 2018 and moved into Frogmore Cottage to begin serving the Crown. The shocking revelations come just a few months after a man was charged under the Treason Act for threatening to kill the Queen at Windsor Castle on Christmas Day of last year. 

In a clip shared by Channel 4 News' Twitter, Basu is asked about the allegations that Meghan's safety had also been targeted after she joined the Royal Family. 

"There were many serious, credible threats against Meghan Markle emanating from the far-right?" journalist Cathy Newman says to the ex-police chief, who responds, "Absolutely."

Basu, who is leaving the Metropolitan Police after 30 years, went on to emphasize the risk to the Duchess of Sussex's safety while he was in charge of protecting the Royal Family. He characterized the threats against Meghan Markle Well as "disgusting and very real," before calling the rise of right-wing terrorism the "fastest growing" threat to the country. 

"If you'd seen the stuff that was written and you were receiving it… the kind of rhetoric that's online, if you don't know what I know, you would feel under threat all of the time," he added. 

Basu also confirmed that the police had "teams investigating" the threats against Meghan and that "people have been prosecuted for those threats." 

The shocking comments cast new light on Prince Harry's battle with the Home Office over his family's security in the UK. In July, the Duke of Sussex won permission to legally challenge the government's decision to refuse his right to automatic security - even after he offered to pay for the service himself. 

Harry and Meghan have relied on a private security team ever since their police protection was stripped following their withdrawal from the Royal Family in January 2020 and subsequent emigration to the US. Lawyers for the duke have claimed that it is not safe for their client to return to the UK without royal security, citing an incident in July 2021 when he was chased by paparazzi in London after attending a charity event.