The royal wedding of Meghan Markle, 36, and Prince Harry, 33, will take place on May 19 2018 – and, unsurprisingly, tight security measures will be in place in the lead up.
Part of the role of the dedicated security team is to identify and in some cases even detain potential threats to the couple ahead of the big day.
This includes the very serious issue of stalkers. A special Met Police unit who target risks to the Royal Family have identified 160 royal ‘stalkers’, it has been reported.
Out of these these 160 people, 106 are men and 54 are women, according to police figures – and six have already been detained under mental health legislation.
Seven of the individuals have been classed as “high risk”, according to the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC).
“The publicity and interest in Meghan and the wedding will add to the protection squad’s concerns,” Former Royal Protection Command Chief Dai Davies told the Mirror.
It is said that certain aspects of the wedding plans heighten the “risk” of threat from royal stalkers.
This includes the carriage ride through Windsor, which is home to 30,000 residents, and the 2640 members of the public who will be invited into the Windsor Castle grounds.
“This Windsor venue and the carriage ride does elevate the risk of threatening behaviour by those who are fixated.”
“Royal obsession” cases are said to have more than doubled in recent years, rising from 73 in 2014 to 160 in 2017 and January and February this year.
Royal wedding security measures are in place to make sure the event is properly secure on the big day.
Assistant Chief Constable David Hardcastle, strategic commander for the wedding, told Express.co.uk: “We are proud to police the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
“The Force has a long history of policing royal events from the annual Windsor Garter Ceremony to state visits and more recently Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday.
“The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is no exception. We are working with our partners, local businesses and the community to deliver a safe, secure and happy event for everyone.”
Last week, it was revealed Meghan Markle’s divorce was mentioned on the royal wedding invitation.
A particular phrase denotes the fact that Meghan has already been divorced once before her engagement to Prince Harry.
It is believed the use of the title “Ms” to describe Meghan is the appropriate way to acknowledge a female divorcee.
