Prince Harry Says He Won’t Bring Meghan Markle Back to the U.K. Because It’s Too ‘Dangerous’

Prince Harry is doing everything he can to protect wife Meghan Markle — and that includes making sure she doesn’t return to the U.K. anytime soon.

In a new interview for ITV’s documentary Tabloids on Trial , which premiered on Thursday, July 25, the Duke of Sussex, 39, got candid about the concerns he’s had for Meghan’s safety, especially when they lived in the United Kingdom.

"It's still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read," Harry said. "And whether it's a knife or acid, whatever it is, and these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It's one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country."

Harry and Meghan, 42, moved to California with son Archie, 5, in 2020 after they stepped down as senior royals . The couple later welcomed daughter Lilibet, 3. Following their decision, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC) removed their automatic right to U.K. police security.

The younger son of King Charles III challenged the committee’s move and, in a December 2023 hearing, said that he felt “ forced to step back ” from the royal family due to safety concerns.

“It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” Harry said via a statement read by barrister Shaheed Fatima KC . “The U.K. is my home. The U.K. is central to the heritage of my children and a place I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the U.S. That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil.”

Harry continued, “I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”

Though the duke offered to cover the costs of security, his bid was rejected. High Court judge Peter Lane upheld the U.K. government’s decision to downgrade security in February.

Harry plans to appeal the ruling. "The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of RAVEC’s own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with RAVEC’s own written policy," a legal spokesperson said in a statement to People at the time.

Former head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police Neil Basu revealed in 2022 that Meghan faced genuine threats against her life while she lived in the U.K.

"We had teams investigating it. People have been prosecuted for those threats," Neil said in an interview with Channel 4 News . “If you'd seen the stuff that was written and you were receiving it … the kind of rhetoric that's online, if you don't know what I know, you would feel under threat all of the time.”