Prince Harry and Meghan's daily school drop-offs dubbed 'biggest' security risk

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daily school drop-offs and pickups are reportedly the biggest security concern facing the family now that they've returned to the UK without government-funded protection.

A friend close to the couple has said that the school run "creates the most dangers" for them.

“It is absolutely the biggest area of concern,” the source told The Telegraph in an interview published Sunday. “It creates the most dangers.”

It's not yet publicly known where Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, will attend school, but Prince Harry and Meghan reportedly plan to handle drop-off and pickup themselves when possible.

Reports say the school has already been notified of the children's enrollment, and staff have received specific training along with new safety procedures.

However, the couple is still waiting to hear from the UK's Home Office about whether they'll receive long-term, taxpayer-funded police protection now that they're based in Europe.

They were previously denied security during past UK visits. Prince Harry's risk assessment was completed in July, but he hasn't received a response, and it's unclear whether the evaluation accounted for Meghan and their children.

Prince Harry has said he believes he lost his security detail because he stepped back from royal duties in 2020. However, a former royal protection officer told The Telegraph that working status shouldn't factor into the decision.

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s a working, or non-working royal,” he added. “The late Queen Mother got protection after she retired, as did Princess Margaret, as does every ex-prime minister. The risk doesn’t just vanish,” explained Scott Hamer, a former Metropolitan Police royalty and specialist protection officer.

Documents reviewed by The Telegraph reportedly show Prince Harry has faced five terror plots in the UK over the years, and that his security team intercepted an armed man carrying a hammer and duct tape near the couple's California home in 2023.

Prince Harry has argued that his case should be reassessed given the family's recent move back to Europe so they can be closer to King Charles during his cancer treatment.

Prince Harry previously said he couldn't imagine bringing his family to the UK without adequate security. The couple has since relocated without government funding, relying instead on private protection.