Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s ‘skivvy’ bodyguards may have ‘lost respect for them’, claims ex-Palace protection officer
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry's "skivvy" bodyguards may have "lost all respect" for royal pair after they quit the UK, it was claimed today.
The couple stepped back as senior royals and moved to Canada last month - taking a team of highly-trained close protection officers with them.
But Scotland Yard officers protecting the couple have since voiced concerns about being treated like "skivvies", running errands including picking up groceries and coffees.
A royal security source said: "While the guys are happy to be out there doing the jobs, there is a feeling they are carrying out menial tasks, like picking up takeaways and groceries.
"They are close protection officers – and should be sticking solely to close protection rather than running errands."
And a former close protection officer for both the Duke of York and Princess Royal today told The Sun Online the concerns showed Meghan and Harry's “ring of steel” was "fed up" with the pair.
The insider said: "How many times have you ever heard of a bodyguard working with the royal family say they are fed up?
"The answer is: never; it’s part of our training, in which absolute loyalty and discretion is enshrined, that we do not allow ourselves the luxury of a good moan about how tedious our shifts may have been, or what a pig Prince So and So may have been to us that day.
"If the team guarding Prince Harry and Meghan are getting their own back because they are fed up acting as gofers to bring the pair a cup of coffee, or collect the groceries, then I would say the trust between the PPOs (Police Protection Officers) and the Principals (the Duke and Duchess) is already breaking down."
It was previously claimed officers had been spotted picking up orders from a local branch of coffee and fast food outlet Tim Hortons.
RING OF STEEL
Brit taxpayers are still funding the couple's protection while they live in Canada.
The couple will use £60,000-a-year protection officers, who will be paid overtime and sent back to the UK to be replaced every two weeks.
And describing the speculated breakdown in communication, the source explained: "This could be because the guys are genuinely bored and think they should be on more active duties, which you can’t change much if Harry and Meghan are not going out and are just holing up in their house.
"But it could be, and this would be of far more concern, that they have lost their respect for the Principals, and feel that Harry has done the wrong thing in leaving his country, and that his wife does not deserve their respect because of the way she treats her husband."
The former bodyguard now works for a private security firm in London where he helps to guard A-list celebrities,
They said: "He should never take his eyes off them if he’s doing his job properly. His job description is close protection, and that means staying close.
"Ultimately most guys are knackered if they are doing their jobs properly, and too tired at the end of a shift too start moaning about heir lot in life."
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The Queen spent a crunch few days thrashing out a hard Megxit deal after Harry and Meghan's sensational announcement they were stepping down as senior royals.
Under the terms of the deal, the royal couple will have to repay the £2.4million spent on Frogmore Cottage by taxpayers and it "will remain their UK family home".
It is understood Prince Charles will continue to privately fund the upkeep of their home, but it is not clear if it will be through his Duchy of Cornwall coffers.
