British special forces are guarding the newly-married Duke and Duchess of Sussex with sub-machine guns amid fears that the royal couple could be targeted by the Taliban.
The threat is believed to be directly linked to comments that former soldier, Prince Harry, made when he was a helicopter pilot.
In 2013, he boasted of blowing “Taliban extremists to pieces” and confirmed he killed Taliban fighters, reports News.au
Asked whether he had killed on duty, the Prince said: “Yeah, so lots of people have. The squadron’s been out here. Everyone’s fired a certain amount.”
He went on to say why it was necessary. “Take a life to save a life, that’s what we revolve around, I suppose. If there are people trying to do bad stuff to our guys, then we’ll take them out of the game, I suppose.”
The comments caused a stir in British security and diplomatic circles at the time because of fears they could inflame the already tense situation in Afghanistan.
But they are now also coming back to haunt him, according to a report in the SUN on Sunday.
While the couple are already well protected at their normal home at Kensington Palace, their countryside home has been transformed into a fortress, with the same level of anti-terrorist security provided at Buckingham Palace and that protects UK Prime Minister Theresa May and spy bases.
Motion sensors and cameras are said to have been strategically placed on the property in a bid to catch any intruders.
It has also been included on a list of properties where members of the public risk being jailed for six months if they are found trespassing.
Villagers near the country pad in Cotswolds, in south central England, have reportedly been stopped and questioned by heavily-armed, specially trained officers. They are believed to patrol the estate on foot and in unmarked 4WDs.
When Prince Harry first made the comments in 2013 they were met with the expected anger by the Taliban, who suggested he had a “mental problem” by comparing his role as a fighter pilot to a video game.
In a Press Association interview, he said his job as co-pilot gunner was “a joy…because I’m one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think that I’m probably quite useful”.
It was clear from the candid comments the importance he placed on military service. “I am the Queen’s grandson and all that good stuff and I love representing her, but to be honest with you and as far as I see it, and as far as William sees it as well, our service towards our country in the military in whichever shape or form it takes will always come first.”
Source: Punch
