Neil Basu, a 30-year police veteran and former assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, says Prince Harry is a ‘fundamentally really decent man’ who is trying to do right by his wife
Prince Harry, one of the most discussed figures globally, remains a mystery to many. The second son of Prince Charles has been depicted in various lights – some view him as an ungrateful son who abandoned the Royal Family with his wife Meghan Markle, while others see him as a near saint wronged by his kin.
Neil Basu, who has worked closely with Prince Harry, offers a unique perspective on the royal’s character. A seasoned police officer with 30 years of service, Neil served as the Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations in the Metropolitan Police and led counter-terrorism policing for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
His role involved safeguarding the Royal Family, and he describes the Prince Harry he knew as “decent.” Neil shared his experiences on The Crime Agents podcast, stating: “It was my units who protected him, and the rest of the royal family, and the VIPs,”.
He further revealed: “It was my units that investigated the allegations of threats to kill against him and Meghan from the extreme right-wing, Islamist extremist threats against him, as well as extreme right-wing threats against him for marrying a mixed race woman and being declared a race traitor.”, reports the Express.
According to Neil, it’s only natural for Harry to seek the best protection for his family: “Whether you like him or you don’t… he’s a fundamentally really decent man who is trying to do the right thing by his wife and two children.”
Neil emphasised that many people form opinions about Harry without having personally interacted with him: “I know him well. I know him from once helping me open a conference on post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health in policing. He was brilliant with my people that day.”
Despite Neil’s apprehensions, Harry and his spouse Meghan Markle returned to the UK on Wednesday without any police protection officers. They journeyed to their new abode, which is not thought to be an official royal residence.
Instead, they were safeguarded by their own private security team, greeted by a van and two tinted cars following their overnight flight from California. A former Metropolitan Police protection officer expressed his disbelief to ITV News over the decision not to provide full police protection to the duke and duchess, labelling it as “incredible”.
The couple were instead provided with the contact details of a police liaison officer. Scott Hamer, who previously protected King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales, stated that a phone number is “not protection, it’s a fudge”.
“I have been involved in protection for 25 years; I find it absolutely incredible,” Mr Hamer commented.
Currently, there are no expectations for the Sussexes to make any public appearances before Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, commence school at the start of September.
This marks only the third time Princess Lilibet has visited Britain. Prince Archie was born in the UK, but relocated to Canada and then the US with his parents before his first birthday.
Harry and Meghan are also bringing their dogs Mia and Pula to their new home.
The duration of the Sussexes’ stay in the country remains uncertain. A source revealed to The Telegraph: “How long will they stay? I don’t know, but it will be for an extended period. Whether that’s six months, a year, two years… who knows.”