Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not moved to the UK silently. The couple has been involved in quite the controversy surrounding their children’s school. Now, neighbors are reportedly fed up with Meghan’s demands for special treatment.
Meghan and Prince Harry made the Cotswolds their home at the start of their UK move.
The Duchess has been spotted several times in the Cotswolds in recent weeks. She was reportedly seen at a local pub with friends Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, and at the exclusive Soho Farmhouse earlier this month.
However, much of the media attention so far has been about the Duke and Duchess’ two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Harry and Meghan pulled their children out of their new UK school after only two days, citing security reasons.
A spokesperson for the couple said they made the decision “following a discussion with the family’s security team about the practicalities of their current arrangements.”
Later, reports suggested an incident involving the convoy, which was reportedly split up during the school run, drove the decision. The disruption allegedly left the cars “like sitting ducks” on the road.
Not long after, it was revealed that parents were surprised by Harry and Meghan’s decision, not least because they thought the former royals would have known that it takes time to get to school.
Meghan’s UK neighbors’ furious over her demand for ‘special treatment’
“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,” one source told the Daily Mail at the time.
“This was obviously going to happen,” another added.
While Archie and Lilibet have enrolled in a new school, where parents reportedly received a warning letter 24 hours before, Meghan Markle’s return has reportedly caused a stir in the Cotswolds.
Now, one royal expert claims locals are allegedly unhappy over reports that the Duchess has been given “special treatment.” Royal commentator Daisy McAndrew says some locals have been frustrated by alleged requests made during Meghan’s recent time in the area.
Speaking on the Daily Expresso podcast, NBC News royal commentator Daisy McAndrew was asked whether Meghan had become a “recluse” after returning across the pond to the UK.
“Well she’s been in a pub in the Cotswolds this week… she’s been to Soho Farmhouse where my local sources tell me she was asking for special treatment and that hasn’t gone down well on my local WhatsApp group.”
Harry & Meghan seek tax-funded security
“There’s been muttering in the Cotswolds. There’s been tooth sucking.”
McAndrew explained that the “special treatment” Meghan had asked for was special access to private areas and driveways, among other things.
While special access might be one thing Meghan is after, she and Prince Harry are currently asking for tax-funded security.
Last week, The Sun reported that the decision to withdraw the children from the school came last night as the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) confirmed that Harry’s security arrangements are being reviewed.
While Prince Harry’s security is being reviewed, it has also been announced that Meghan’s will be, too. It’s the first official review the couple have gotten since leaving royal life behind in 2020.
Time will tell whether Harry and Meghan settle in the Cotswolds. But for now, considering the bad publicity surrounding their actions, it might be a good idea for the couple to lay low.
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