Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Frogmore Eviction Comes With Significant Security Threats

Not only is Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's eviction from their U.K. home a fraught decision family-wise, but it also poses a significant threat to their security.

The thing is, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor provided a relatively safe home base for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, since it is located on a royal estate with all the police protection that entails.

But now that King Charles has advised the Sussexes they need to vacate the property following the release of Spare, the issue of their security when they visit the U.K. is becoming even more contentious than it has been since they were first denied the protection that typically comes with being royal.

"Frogmore is part of the Windsor Castle protected site, which is everything that the Metropolitan Police, in conjunction with Thames Valley Police, can offer," former Met royal protection officer Simon Morgan told Newsweek.

"So the Met look after the inside of it and Thames Valley look after the outside of it. You're getting everything that the police can offer in a protected site, armed police officers, technical equipment, walls, fences, everything that goes with creating a protected site and also the legislation as well."

For the royal couple, Morgan added, "It all comes down to the threat risk. That's the big question. As we know there's currently a court case involving the Sussexes with regard to their protection withdrawal."

Here, the expert is referring to Prince Harry's ongoing lawsuit against the British government, which he launched following its decision not to grant the Sussexes police protection while they are in the U.K.

The royal spouses bring their private security detail with them on their visits, but these officers aren't allowed to be armed, which they have argued poses an additional security threat to them and their young children.

Now that they can no longer rely on the additional protection of Frogmore, "It would fall to their private sector security team to identify the threat and risk," Morgan said.

"You would look at that, what is the threat risk with them coming to the U.K. and if you're comfortable mitigating and managing that risk, then where do they actually stay?

"Do they go into a hotel? Do they stay at a private residence, and how does the security team then secure the environment where they are going to be staying?

"To stay in a protected environment is always the preferred option because you're getting that complete support and everything else that goes with it. We see it at Buckingham Palace, we see it at Windsor and at Downing Street, you see everything that the protected environment gives you."

None of this sounds like great news, to be honest. I hope everyone involved figures out a way to make the situation work for them.