The Royal Family’s security has been placed under scrutiny after Prince Harry’s plea for police protection when him and his family visit the UK.
Senior royals like the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are protected by security around the clock paid for by the UK taxpayers.
However, more peripheral members of The Firm like Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, and Princess Anne are only given security from the police when they are working in their official capacities.
Two of the youngest royals had their 24-hour taxpayer-funded police protection axed when it was suggested they were spending too much.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were the subject of a row about funding in 2011 that was said to have left their father Prince Andrew furious, according to Mirror Online.
In fact, one royal expert said Prince Charles was forced to intervene in the debate about funding for Beatrice and Eugenie’s security after it caused a row behind palace walls.
It is thought the heir to the throne stepped in after the younger of his nieces racked up huge security costs as she travelled the world on her gap year.
A report published at the time suggested Eugenie spent more than £100,000 of taxpayers’ money as she explored India, America, Thailand and South Africa.
She paid for hotels and travel herself, but the massive security bill, including overtime money, was funded by the taxpayer.
Speaking on Channel 5 documentary Beatrice and Eugenie: Pampered Princesses?, royal expert Richard Kay said: “She was sort of flitting from country to country as most middle-class young people do who take gap years.
“But, of course, she was accompanied by police bodyguards.
“That meant that we the taxpayers were paying for policemen to accompany her to the fleshpots of the world.”
Charles reportedly stepped in to control the spending, with royal author Angela Levin telling the programme he suggested Eugenie and Beatrice didn’t need costly security as it’s unlikely they will ever become working royals.
But Charles’s suggestion didn’t go down well and is said to have left Prince Andrew, furious.
Ms Levin added: “Prince Charles decided that as they were not likely to be very senior royals, that this was too much for the public to pay, so he stopped that.
“Prince Andrew was so angry that he wrote a note to the Queen.
“He said he wanted them to be considered as proper royals. He did not want the protection officers to leave them.”
It is now understood that both princesses, who are not working royals, have any security they need paid for privately.
Both also hold down jobs with Beatrice working at software company Afiniti while Eugenie is a director at art gallery Hauser & Wirth.
Harry says he is unable to bring his wife Meghan and their two children to the UK due to a lack of security.
They now live in America, where they are not entitled to taxpayer-funded security.
Harry has been pleading for security provided by police protection officers for him and his family when in the UK and has even offered to pay for it.
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