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Sussex security alert at Archie and Lilibet’s school

Q: There have been reports of a security alert at Archie and Lilibet’s school in the UK. What happened?

Emily Nash: “Hot off the press, another school story for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. This time it involves two men who were spotted carrying backpacks around the perimeter of the school. And don’t forget, this is the second school Archie and Lily have started out since moving to the UK.

“And of course, sparked huge security concerns. For anyone who’s not been following the UK news over the last week or so, there was a major security alert near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire over the weekend, which involved, again, some young men carrying backpacks and a white van. So this obviously sparked concerns and both private security and the police have identified one of the two men as a member of the European press agency who had rented a van, and it looks like they were trying to take some illicit photographs of Harry and Meghan’s children, which is obviously very concerning as it would be for any parent.”

Q: How did Harry and Meghan react, and what does this mean for their ongoing security situation?

Emily Nash: “A spokesman for the couple has called it reckless, displaying an extraordinary lack of judgment. They’ve called it an unacceptable intrusion into the privacy of children. I don’t think anyone would argue with that. And it’s worth pointing out here that, even were photographs of the children to be taken by these paparazzi, they wouldn’t be published in the UK. There’s very strict regulation or self-regulation within the UK media about any intrusion into a child’s school life. But it’s very interesting that they’ve gone on the record to talk about this. It’s obviously something very concerning for them.

“To your point about security, it really feels again like this is another piece in the jigsaw for the Sussexes. There was a little bit of condemnation of the school move and whether or not that was part of some sort of wider campaign to have security reinstated. We know that RAVEC review is ongoing into both Harry and Meghan’s security and we don’t yet have an outcome at the time of recording, but we’d imagine it would be fairly soon. But it is interesting the elements that are made public to the press and are shared with the press, and you have to wonder whether there is an element of them wanting people to have sympathy for their situation – which of course, when it involves children, is something that no one’s really going to argue with.”

Q: You recently spoke to a friend of Prince Harry’s. How is he feeling about his relationship with the media now?

Emily Nash: “I spoke to a friend of Harry’s recently and was told that he’s in a really good headspace at the moment. I was curious to know how he’d felt about encounters with the press in recent weeks. Obviously, we spoke to him at the WellChild Awards and at the Invictus Gala, but he has come into contact with a lot of members of the British press, many from outlets that he has taken legal action against. What I was told is that he sort of parked that and he’s moved on from it. I don’t know if he’s completely moved on, but I think he’s realised that that battle is one that he needs to draw a line under. So it’s an interesting take, isn’t it? For once, it is not the UK press that is taking the heat on this occasion.”

Catherine’s minibus moment & William’s community focus

Q: Princess Catherine was seen boarding a minibus in Sussex. What was that engagement all about?

Emily Nash: “Funnily enough, our social media followers have a real interest in the Princess of Wales getting on and off things and going up and down ladders. She boarded a minibus to go and collect some elderly and isolated people living in rural Sussex this morning and took them to a lunch club, and there were just really lovely heartwarming scenes there. She sat and joined them. She ate some crisps. She talked about the fact that she loves washing up and that William does the drying up. So painting quite the picture of domestic bliss.”

Q: William and Catherine also made a surprise appearance in Wakefield to meet Sir Kevin Sinfield. How was that received?

Emily Nash: “I feel like she and William are really focusing in on communities at the moment, and particularly communities that aren’t particularly getting any feedback or reward for the work that they’re doing, the volunteers who staff these events and make them possible for people who really depend on them to get through life. It’s about bringing people together and then celebrating people.

“They were also in Wakefield, William and Catherine, to welcome home and to surprise in fact Sir Kevin Sinfield. He’s a remarkable human being who was a Leeds Rhinos player alongside Rob Burrow… Kevin has done, this is the seventh challenge that he has done, gruelling, extreme challenge to raise money since Rob’s diagnosis. And he is running seven ultramarathons in seven days to benefit motor neurone disease charities. When he ran into the stadium at Wakefield, he was surprised by William and Catherine, who were waiting for him alongside Rob Burrow’s children and his mother. So really poignant scenes there and a real measure of how much people appreciate what he’s doing.”

Rare access with Princess Anne in York

Q: You travelled to York to cover an engagement with Princess Anne. What was it like shadowing her?

Emily Nash: “It’s very unusual to get to cover one of her engagements in the UK. She’s a very busy woman. It would take a lot of resources to have media cover every engagement that she does. But obviously this is something that she wanted to shout about from the rooftop. So I got to go along and cover her meeting Kevin Sinfield and a lot of MND patients and their families up at the University of York.

“The thing about Princess Anne is she’s so direct. She’s very quick-witted. She’s very funny. She talked about the fact that a fun run is a contradiction in terms and that although she could run, she wasn’t planning to do any. When Kevin Sinfield asked if she wanted to join him on one of the legs, it was a very, very quick ‘No thank you! I’ll stick to horses, ‘ and job done. Couldn’t get much more Princess Anne than that.”

Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day plans

Q: With Remembrance Day approaching, how is Prince Harry expected to mark the occasion this year?

Emily Nash: “We’re still about six weeks out from Remembrance. But I was curious to know, because there’s been a lot of speculation, how the Duke of Sussex might be planning to mark it. He’s still not going to be part of any official events. He’s not a senior working member of the Royal Family anymore. These positions on the Cenotaph, on the balcony overlooking Whitehall are for senior members of the firm.

“My understanding is that he plans to do something, perhaps very low-key, maybe attend a church service, maybe pop down to the local war memorial. But I think there’s a real understanding now from Harry and Meghan that it’s not appropriate or appreciated when they clash with significant moments for the rest of the royal family. You can’t get much more significant than Remembrance, where you’re honouring the fallen, people who literally paid the ultimate sacrifice. And so I think there is an understanding there that he’s not going to make it about him.”

Earl Spencer’s memoir & William’s reaction

Q: Earl Spencer’s book Swan Song has become a massive bestseller. How is Prince William handling the continued fallout?

Emily Nash: “It has been announced as the biggest-selling nonfiction book of the year in the UK. I imagine similar figures elsewhere in the world. Whatever the furore around it and the controversy, it has flown off the shelves. He’s been on US TV the last few days, in conversation with Tina Brown in New York this week as well, gently pushing the same argument about King Charles.

“I think what William’s silence indicates is that he knows that it’s not going to serve anyone really for him to stick his head above the parapet on this, least of all himself. I think he’s protecting his peace. And it’s a nuanced situation, isn’t it? We know that obviously this is his uncle, this is his father, he is the future king. He’s got an eye on protecting the institution as well as anything else. But you can only imagine how upsetting it is to have this playing out so publicly.”

King Charles’ upcoming royal tour

Q: What lies ahead for King Charles in the coming weeks?

Emily Nash: “He’s been up in Scotland for the last few weeks. He did pop back to London at the beginning of September to view the Bayeux Tapestry and carried out a couple of other engagements while he was here. But this is traditionally a period of the year during which the monarch heads up to Scotland, has some private time. He has got a lot to get his head around. He’s going to be embarking on a three-country visit later in October, heading to the Caribbean. There’ll be a lot of talk about breaking away from the British monarchy from some countries, from others, calls for reparations over historic slavery. It’s something he needs to get his head into and fully understand and prepare.”

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