After officially stepping down as senior royals on March 31, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex made the move to Los Angeles. But settling into Tinseltown hasn’t exactly been easy for the couple.
They moved during a time when the state of California was put on lockdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and when those restrictions were loosened, found their privacy being invaded. Following a few scary incidents, the Sussexes have now made the choice to hire more security and employed a team known as the “secret service for famous people.” Here’s more on the incidents that prompted them to hire celebrity-approved bodyguards and the whopping cost of that protection.
Prince Harry and Meghan not getting the privacy they hoped for
It was previously reported that duke and duchess were looking to purchase a property in Malibu not far from Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
According to sources, one option was Petra Manor which is Kylie Jenner’s former residence. Another place they reportedly expressed interest in was Mel Gibson’s old house.
At this point, Harry and Meghan haven’t settled on a permanent property to buy so for now they’ve been renting the Beverly Hills mansion of actor and producer Tyler Perry. The eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom Beverly Ridge Estate sits atop a hill but when the trails and parks nearby reopened after the lockdown restrictions were relaxed, hikers could see into the home.
Previous security measures taken
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Hello! Magazine noted that once Parks & Recreation opened the hiking routes anyone jogging or walking the trails were able to see into the Sussexes’ temporary residence when they reached the highest point.
In an effort to stop strangers from watching them and their young son, Archie, Meghan and Harry decided to have privacy screens installed around the estate. They also had more security cameras put it in as well.
Drone incident and car chase prompts couple to hire pricey team
While the privacy screens prevent locals from getting a peek inside the property, drones believed to be operated by the paparazzi have been flying around the home to get a glimpse of the family.
The prince and former actress view the drones coming within 20 feet of the house as a threat and have contacted the police several times. A friend of the Sussexes told The Daily Beast that the pair also experienced aggressive tactics by photographers whenever they leave the home and were chased on a highway.
The Daily Mail reported that the duke and duchess have decided to enlist the services of the same firm that provides security for other high-profile people like Jeff Bezos and Tom Hanks. Some celebs including Michael J. Fox have dubbed the firm as the “secret service for famous people.” The cost of the new security detail is said to be a whopping $8,800 a day.
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Read the original article from The Cheat Sheet
