Meghan Markle Phone Number Leaked at New Sussex School

A leak of private information has thrown New Sussex security into fresh doubt. The Duchess of Sussex's mobile number is reportedly being shared among parents at the very school where her and Prince Harry's children had just enrolled. Screenshots from a WhatsApp group Meghan joined were circulating online last night.

The couple refused to comment on the matter. But sources close to them expressed disappointment that fellow parents would seek to share such details. It seems Meghan Markle was added to the chat titled 'Year 3' the night before Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet started their first day there. An alleged image of the text messages showed the duchess introducing herself with a message reading: 'Hi moms! Thanks for the warm welcome [heart emoji]. So happy to be a part of this community xx'.

This disclosure came right after Harry and Meghan decided to remove their children from the school over security fears regarding traffic. The family's bodyguards warned the couple that the busy commute was placing their unit under strain. Rush-hour meant the drive, supposed to take around 35 minutes, lasted as long as an hour. On one journey, a convoy carrying the prince and princess is said to have become separated, leaving the children sitting ducks in stationary traffic.

Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, spent two days at that private school before their parents chose to send them elsewhere. Friends of the couple stressed that the decision to withdraw was not an issue with the school itself. Archie and Lilibet will now join another school where they have already attended taster sessions. The Sussexes' security are said to be much happier that the new school will offer a shorter commute from the family home.

But this fiasco has sparked questions over why the family's drivers only tested the route during the summer holidays, amid claims that their return to the UK was rushed. Their private protection team were seemingly unable to properly assess the hour-long journey to the unnamed school after the Sussexes announced the move in late August.

Former Met Police Chief Superintendent Dal Babu said: 'It does beggar belief why they haven't thought this through. I don't think he [Harry] has helped himself or the situation by not arranging things in good time.' Former head of royal protection Dai Davies also told LBC radio: 'If you keep a low profile, most people outside the school wouldn't know where you are, what they're doing, and all the rest of it. Do they really need to go in convoy with two little children on the school run? If they only just kept a little quieter, kept a lower profile, they'd be a lot safer in my view.'

A Labour MP suggested that he believes the Sussexes have been left exposed. Mike Tapp, who represents Dover and Deal in Kent, said: 'Nearly three weeks after their arrival, the King's son, Meghan, and their children remain without protection. Whatever the eventual outcome, there are serious questions about how this process has been handled. In the cold light of day, there should be a proper review to ensure decisions of this importance are made swiftly, independently and on the basis of risk.'

One mother with two children at the school said Harry and Meghan's decision to send their children there had been a coup and had excited many parents. But she added: 'Parents at the school are completely baffled. You don't need to be an expert to know how congested that area is.

It's one of the worst places to drive in the UK,' a mother muttered about the gridlock during the school run. Another parent noted that this chaos was obviously going to happen given the circumstances. The drama unfolded as reports surfaced that Prince Harry's demand for taxpayer-funded police protection is now being reviewed after his return to Britain.

In a shared photo, Meghan posted an image of Harry driving a quad bike with Lilibet and Archie in the back. Their security team raised serious fears this week because the Sussex convoy was split up due to heavy congestion. In another picture, Harry plays archery with Archie while he and Meghan are said to be extremely grateful for the exceptional care the children received at their prep school.

The duke and duchess were informed that a decision was made last week to examine the threat facing both of them. The prince has been at loggerheads with the Home Office for years over its decision to remove his automatic right to security. Harry has long argued that he was born a prince and needs police protection when in the UK, yet he lost a series of legal battles against the Home Office which deemed he had forfeited the right after quitting as a frontline royal in 2020.

Only last year, after another defeat at the Royal Courts of Justice against His Majesty's government, the prince declared in a petulant BBC interview that he could not imagine bringing his family to his country of birth safely. But now that he has had a sudden change of heart and brought Meghan, Archie and Lilibet to live here, his access to police protection is being reviewed, it was reported on Monday evening. The decision involves reviewing the risks to Prince Harry and also to his wife.

ITV News said the Home Office committee known as Ravec has written to Harry informing him a full review will take place. If true, then this decision defies complaints made by Team Sussex about the meeting held last week by Ravec, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures. Some in Harry's camp had accused Buckingham Palace of trying to scupper that meeting with King Charles's bombshell letter which made clear the view that the Sussexes were private citizens not working royals.

Harry and Meghan were taken by surprise by the letter and would prefer to be known as public figures, it was made clear by sources close to them. They believed the timing of the letter may have been an attempt to influence the Ravec committee on whether to reinstate Harry's taxpayer-funded security. At the time, the Daily Mail reported that such claims were incorrect, saying the letter offered clarity ahead of a busy programme for the Sussexes rather than interfering with his battles. In fact, those close to the King believed the move could make it easier for him to see his son privately.

On Monday, Harry's fears that the letter was designed to block his bid for security appeared unfounded. ITV News's royal correspondent Chris Ship said: 'It was decided that Harry should get a full review of his security now that he is resident in his home country and his children have started classes at a British school.' The official review carried out by Ravec, called a Risk Management Board, would be conducted for both Harry and Meghan. This process marks a shift from the old rules where access was strictly limited, suggesting the government is willing to reassess these privileges under new conditions.

Meghan faces a fresh review of potential risks now that she and Harry have stepped away from the Monarchy in 2020. This would mark the first time such an assessment has occurred since their departure.

Harry actually had a new 'RMB' completed back in July, just eight weeks ago. However, the officials assessing his case did not know about his plans to move his family to the UK at that moment.

ITV News reports that British police currently offer only one safeguard: a phone number for a liaison officer. Harry is told to call this line if he needs help. He believes this offers essentially zero protection. If he or his family are under attack, it would take officers too long to reach them.

Harry argues his position is unique. He is the son of the British monarch and fifth in line to the throne. He also served as a veteran who completed two tours in Afghanistan. Some British officers criticized him for boasting about killing Taliban fighters in his 2023 memoir, Spare. Others suggested this decision massively increased his need for protection against revenge seekers.

Scotland Yard does not discuss security arrangements for royals publicly. It is understood that protection is arranged on a case-by-case basis and constantly under review. During recent UK charity events attended by Harry, he clearly received police security support.

Harry and Meghan also pay millions for private security teams. Yet the rules differ sharply between nations. In America, their bodyguards may shoot people deemed a threat. In Britain, close protection agents are not allowed to carry guns. This explains why the duke is desperate to reinstate his automatic police protection.

The Home Office issued a statement regarding these limits. 'The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate,' they said. 'It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security.