SHOCK NEW BODYGUARD
With just a couple of weeks to go before Harry and Meghan officially step away from life as senior royals, debate still rages over who will pay for their multimillion-dollar security needs. Now an insider tells New Idea that a Hollywood security firm, better known for keeping A-list celebrities safe, has been named as the company who will soon be responsible for the huge task.
The royal couple have reportedly offered a sevenfigure sum to Kris Herzog from the Beverly Hills-based Bodyguard Group.
“One of the reasons Meghan hired Kris is because of his in-depth knowledge of protecting celebrity children, including working with the Saudi Royal family,” explains the source. “Meghan made it clear she felt targeted and said money was no object when it came to their security – even if it meant tripling their budget to ensure they had bullet-proof cars, double the amount of staff and former FBI agents monitoring them round-the-clock as well as intelligence agencies investigating their recent threats.” Kris has protected A-listers such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears in the past and provides kids’ bodyguards, safety training for children, as well as GPS kidnapping prevention the source says is “vital
for Meghan who’s petrified about Archie’s safety”.
Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed it will stop providing protection to the couple on March 31, when they officially drop their HRH titles and are no longer senior working royals. It’s not known whether the Sussexes will pay their own security bill, or if the Queen or Prince Charles will cover it. With reports that the total security bill could be as much as $40 million a year, Kris’ salary will be just a part of what is being spent on keeping Harry, Meghan and Archie safe.
“Not only does Archie have his own dedicated security team watching him at all times, but they’ve also gone to extreme extra measures to protect him,” adds the source. “As Archie grows older, he will be taught self-defence and kidnap prevention and survival and escape modes from some of the world’s top experts.”