(LONDON) Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle received “vile” death threats while she and her husband were still working members of the British royal family, a senior police officer has said.
Outgoing senior police officer Neil Basu from London said he had to deal with credible death threats against the Sussexes from far-right activists when he was head of counter-terrorism.
The police officer’s claims in an interview broadcast on Channel 4 on Tuesday evening came as Prince Harry continued to express fears for the safety of his family while living in England.
Meghan, an American actress, and Harry, the youngest son of King Charles III, left the royal family and moved to America in 2020. During an interview in March 2021, the couple made accusations of racism and cruelty against the royal family.
Mr Basu, who is leaving London’s police force after 30 years of service, described the threats the couple received as “despicable and genuine”.
“We had investigative teams and people were prosecuted for these threats,” he added.
Harry, 38, is suing the UK government for police protection when the family travel to England.
By ceasing to be working members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan lost the law enforcement protection afforded them at taxpayer expense. Harry offered to pay the costs and is contesting the Home Office’s refusal in court.
Additionally, Neel Basu, who is of Indian origin, condemned the “brutal” rhetoric on immigration by some conservative figures of foreign origin.
For example, Suella Braverman, the right-wing British Home Secretary of Indian origin, spoke of a migrant “invasion” or expressed the “dream” of deporting asylum seekers who had arrived illegally in the UK to Rwanda. A moment of stagnation after the intervention of European justice.
Mr. For Basu, the speech was “inexplicable”. “It’s amazing to hear powerful politicians speak in a way that brings back memories of my father in 1968,” he said, referring to a speech by Tory MP Enoch Powell about the so-called race war in England over immigration.
