“Behind the Shield: Unveiling the Secrets of the Royal Bodyguards Who Stand Between the Crown and Danger”
In conjunction with police officers and volunteers, the officials rushed in to save all the belongings that they could. These items included artwork and furniture, which you can be sure were of extremely high value.
Princess Diana’s Bodyguard Became Her Shoulder To Cry On
Though there are clear boundaries that bodyguards have to follow with the royal family, these lines could sometimes become blurred. Such was the case when Princess Diana’s father passed, leaving her heartbroken and desperate to turn to her bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, for support.
Ken recalled that he “sat on her bed for four hours with her crying in my arms.” Ken wasn’t the only one Diana was close to. When her former bodyguard, Barry Mannakee, passed, she said that the news was “the biggest blow” of her life.
Being A Bodyguard For College-Aged Prince Wasn’t Always Easy
When Prince William went to study at Eton, his bodyguards had to remain serious as ever, even around jovial college kids. One of the boys’ peers is said to have looked for another school after positioning a laser pointer towards one of the Prince’s as a joke.
Another time, Prince William was playing golf with some friends and one of them accidentally hit the royal member in the head! His bodyguard immediately called for an ambulance. It’s a good thing that the bodyguard took the accident so seriously because William ended up needing surgery!
William’s Bodyguards Weren’t Always With Him On Campus
Though Prince William’s bodyguards had to know his whereabouts 24/7 while he attended college, they did their best to let him have a normal college experience. The team would dress like they were students so that it wasn’t too obvious who was looking out for the Prince.
They also would let him walk from one place to another on his own. One security officer would report when Prince William left a location, and another officer would be there waiting at his destination and note when he’d arrived.
William And Kate’s Bodyguard Quit After Five Years
William and Kate met in college and began dating in 2003. They briefly split in 2007, but came back together in 2008 and were more serious than ever. Fans eagerly waited for the long-term couple to get engaged, especially once word spread that Kate was being protected by royal bodyguards, too.
Chief Inspector John Hourihan led two teams of four who closely looked after the couple. Though Kate was officially protected by royal security in 2008, it would be another two years before the couple finally became engaged. In 2013, John shocked Kate and William when he left his role for a private security position.
Kate’s Bodyguard Married A Fellow Royal Protection Officer
Once Kate and William officially became engaged, the soon-to-be Duchess received round-the-clock protection by her very own security team. Sergeant Emma Probert became Kate’s personal protection officer in 2010, just a year after losing her husband in a skiing accident.
As fate would have it, Emma ended up meeting her next husband through the royal family’s security. Officer Colin Childs is a part of Queen Elizabeth II’s protection detail, and he ended up hitting it off with Emma. Though the security couple keeps their relationship details private, it’s sweet to know they met their mate while on the job.
Extending The Protection To Social Media
Since social media enables people from around the world to freely express their opinions, the royals have to be just as protected virtually as they are in real life. For this reason, the royals are very selective about the accounts they open.
To help protect the royal family via social media, their security came up with guidelines that must be followed by anyone interacting with their accounts. If a rule is broken, the individual’s posts can be deleted and their account blocked.
They Use Nicknames And Initials
As you may have expected, the royal family’s protection officers are as secretive as possible, even when it comes to names. To prevent giving anything away to the wrong person, the bodyguards use codenames when talking about the royal family members.
One thing that the team does to avoid confusion is come up with nicknames that have the same initials as the royal’s title. For instance, if they are talking about a Duke of Cambridge, the nickname will follow the initials “D.C.” Since there are multiple dukes and duchesses, it’s still secretive enough to not hint at one particular person.
