Diana"s ex bodyguard criticises Meghan"s security team over Fiji market scare - Mirror Online
Princess Diana"s former bodyguard has criticised a "lack of experience" in Meghan Markle"s security team after analysing footage of her scare at a market in Fiji.
Ken Wharfe previously told the Mirror there needed to be a "defined roped walkway" to keep Meghan away from any threatening situations during the aborted visit last October.
And speaking in the Daily Mail today, the personal protection officer claimed it"s "inevitable" that something similar will happen in the future.
He said: "They knew interest in the duchess would be huge, she was newly married and newly pregnant. Plus the extreme temperatures should have been factored in.
"Also, why was there so little security around the car? It added to the vulnerability of the situation.
"What this all showed me was a general lack of experience. I also feel this is inevitable and will probably be repeated."
At the time of the incident in Suva, Prince Harry was 30 miles away in the rainforest planting a tree.
Due to the risk of the Zika virus on the royal baby-to-be, Meghan was to visit the indoor market and speak to female stallholders about women’s empowerment and the UN project, Markets for Change.
But the normal formalities of a royal visit were lacking and Meghan looked flustered, disengaged and afraid.
Ken also told the paper he wouldn"t have taken the Duchess of Sussex into that situation had he been in charge that day.
He previously told the Mirror the security problems will have to be adressed.
He said: "The lack of a defined roped or barrier walkway was clearly the root cause of the problem.
"The back-up of a safe exit route seemed not to be in place.
"Given that the Duchess is pregnant, and temperatures high in the 80s in the market, without this walkway the visit should, in my opinion, not have been allowed.
"Royalty protection will need to address basic elements of personal protection, found to be wanting in Suva."
Mr Wharfe also admitted he does not know why Meghan"s female security protection officer is calling it a day.
The Scotland Yard inspector’s departure could become the third resignation among her senior aides in less than a year - signalling a worrying trend
Reports emerged last month that Meghan had been nicknamed "Duchess Difficult’ by staff inside the palace walls, because of how demanding she can allegedly be.
Meghan’s personal assistant, Melissa Touabti, walked-away from Kensington Palace last year after managing just six-months in the position.
Prince Harry and the Duchess’ private secretary, Samantha Cohen, is also rumoured to be leaving the Sessex’s workforce after more than 17 years of working for the Royal Family.
According to The Sunday Times, there’s nothing to suggest a personality clash between Meghan and the protection officer, but a source told the paper Markle’s desire to be seen as “one of the people” offers a number of challenges to her team.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dianas-ex-bodyguard-criticises-meghans-13869581
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