Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back in the UK: The cost of their private security detail

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle landed in the UK on Wednesday, marking their return six years after they first fled to the US.

The couple, who stepped back as senior working members of the royal family in 2020, flew privately from California to Birmingham with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

One of the biggest concerns for Harry before returning home was the question of security and who would pay for their protection.

The Duke of Sussex, 41, fought and lost a court battle in an attempt to reinstate his taxpayer-funded security.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously stated the security arrangements for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are a private matter as the couple prepared to move back to the UK.

According to The Mirror , the Sussexes were not met by any taxpayer-funded police protection or convoy — something they previously had as working royals.

A British security expert reported the family were met at the airport by a private motorcade, which can cost thousands of pounds.

“Bills are going to run up if this is how Harry insists on travelling around the UK now he is back,” former royal protection chief Dai Davies told The Mirror.

New pictures from Wednesday have shown they were met by three vehicles — a large black Mercedes van as well as two black Range Rovers — which took them from the airport to their new home.

According the UK news outlet, the Sussexes are not seen in the images but the man sitting in the front seat is believed to be David Langdown, who previously worked with Harry when he was a working royal.

Langdown is reportedly working for a private security firm after retiring from the Met Police and is believed to be helping the family establish a security team in the UK.

A spokesperson for the duke and duchess declined to comment on their travel movements, citing the importance of privacy and security.

The airport is close to the Cotswolds, where the family are set to move into a private property and where Archie and Lilibet are reported to have been enrolled in a local school.

It’s believed the King has welcomed the opportunity to see more of his family.