Just months after losing his appeal for government-funded security, the Duke of Sussex had a close encounter with a known stalker
NEED TO KNOW
- Prince Harry had two close encounters with a known stalker during his recent visit to the U.K.
- An unnamed woman, who has previously followed Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, to Nigeria, was able to get close to him at two public events, The Telegraph reports
- The incidents came just months after Harry lost his high-stakes appeal to reinstate his state-funded security in the U.K.
Prince Harry had a close encounter with a known stalker during his recent visit to the U.K.
The Telegraph reported on Oct. 6 that an unnamed woman — who may be suffering from mental health issues — was able to come within feet of the Duke of Sussex on two separate instances while he was in London for several public events.
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Harry attended the WellChild Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. During the event, the woman was able to enter a “secure zone” to get close to the Duke of Sussex.
One day later, she was photographed near Harry as he visited the Centre for Blast Injury Studies in west London.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex tells PEOPLE that they “do not comment on security issues.”
According to The Telegraph, the woman has a history of stalking Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, even following them to Nigeria last year.
A security source tells PEOPLE, “These incidents are not uncommon for members of the royal family. It differs, however, because there was no police presence or close protection — it was left to two staffers from his private office to intervene. This time, they got lucky, recognizing the fixated individual. Relying on luck is not a long-term fix.”
The source continues, “He’s the son of the King, brother of the heir, fifth in line to the throne and one of the most famous people in the world. It feels like there is an inevitable foreboding looming over this whole issue.”
The incidents come just a few months after Harry lost his high-stakes appeal to reinstate his state-funded United Kingdom security, which he says was unjustly revoked after he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the U.S. in 2020.
Judge Sir Geoffrey Vos dismissed Harry’s appeal on May 2, noting that the two other judges agreed with his opinion.
“The Duke was, in effect, stepping in and out of the cohort of protection provided by RAVEC [the government’s Royal and VIP Executive Committee]. Outside the U.K., he was outside the cohort, but when in the U.K., his security would be considered as appropriate depending on the circumstances,” Vos said while delivering his verdict. “It was impossible, I said in my judgment, to say that this reasoning was illogical or inappropriate. Indeed, it seemed sensible.”
Following the verdict, Harry told PEOPLE that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case — and that’s really sad.”
Neil Basu, a former head of counterterrorism for the Metropolitan Police, has spoken out about the Duke of Sussex’s need for police protection, noting that both Harry and Meghan had among the highest threat assessments within the royal family. (In recent years various people have been arrested and imprisoned for making threats against the couple.)
“Harry’s military service, his global recognition and his marriage to a mixed-race woman all contribute to his high threat level,” Basu told PEOPLE in July 2024.
Prince Harry and Meghan are raising their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, in Montecito, California, and his lawyers have said previously that he “does not feel safe” bringing his family to his home country without official police protection.
Prince Harry on Sept. 8, 2025.Neil Mockford/GC Images
While Harry has yet to resolve his concerns over privacy and protection in his home country, he took a major step towards thawing the icy relationship with his father during his U.K. visit. On Sept. 10, he visited Clarence House and met for nearly an hour with King Charles, sharing tea together.
It was the pair’s first face-to-face meeting in more than 19 months. Harry last saw his father in February 2024, just after the King announced his cancer diagnosis. That meeting was brief — less than 30 minutes — and communication had deteriorated ever since.
While their recent encounter marked a hopeful step forward, royal insiders caution that a long road lies ahead before full reconciliation is likely.
“It’s a massive step in the right direction,” Queen Elizabeth’s former spokeswoman Ailsa Anderson told PEOPLE at the time. “It’s a building of trust.”
