How an Abduction Plot Involving Prince Harry Forced the Royal Family to Rethink Their Security Protocol

Prince Harry has very short red hair and is wearing an ecru T-shirt during his gap year in 2004 in Mohale's Hoek in Lesotho.

In 2004, Prince Harry took a gap year after finishing school, and before he joined the military. He worked on a ranch in Queensland, Australia, spent time in Lesotho in Africa, where he forged lifelong friendships, and he briefly traveled to Argentina. However, the Duke of Sussex's Argentinian stay was cut short when an alleged kidnapping plot was uncovered, as revealed by files from the National Archives.

In November 2004, Prince Harry was staying on a polo ranch in Lobos, Argentina as part of his gap year. Unfortunately, Harry's visit to the country took a turn when the "Argentine government was apparently alerted to the kidnap threat by a murder suspect in the local underworld," the Daily Mail reported. According to the outlet, the then-20-year-old royal found himself in the middle of "an abduction scare in which gun shots were fired," which sounds, frankly, terrifying.

The then-20-year-old royal found himself in the middle of "an abduction scare in which gun shots were fired." (Image credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Luckily, the response to the kidnapping plot involving Prince Harry was swift. "The Security Ministry responded by sending a squad of 15 armed police officers to patrol the perimeter of the El Remanso ranch, and they fired shots into the air after two shots were heard being fired in the area," the Daily Mail reported.

The British government officially responded, saying, "Given the recent publicity about the possible kidnapping threat to Prince Harry, the Metropolitan Police should where appropriate seek advice on the possible risks of kidnapping in countries being visited by members of the Royal Family."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It was also revealed that there weren't always Royal Air Force aircraft available for royals to use during official visits, which only contributed to potential security risks, per the Daily Mail. This was reportedly on account of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to send troops to Iraq and Afghanistan at the time. As a result, the Royal Family allegedly chartered "civilian aircraft via a broker," which left them open to potential security breaches.

Thankfully, the alleged abduction plot was thwarted, and Prince Harry returned home safely following his gap year.