Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have enlisted the services of an A-list security firm that charges up to £7,000 (N3,348,174) per day.
The couple, who now live in Los Angeles with their son, Archie, are using GDBA, a security company owned by Gavin De Becker who served as security chief for President Ronald Reagan. His company provides security to A-listers for Hollywood such as Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lawrence, Madonna, Cher, and Barbra Streisand.
A source said,
“Harry and Meghan have full confidence in de Becker’s firm and they come highly recommended. They are the biggest security firm in LA and by far the most respected. They aren’t cheap, but if you want the best you have to pay for it.”
Actor Michael J. Fox describes GDBA as a “secret service for famous people”.
De Becker is thought to be close friends with Oprah Winfrey, the chat show host who is also a confidante of Meghan.
Harry and Meghan’s security has been a subject of much debate after an insider told the Daily Mail earlier this week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could only afford to start paying off their £2.4million bill for Frogmore Cottage once Prince Charles had agreed to foot their astronomical security costs in the US.
It is unclear who is paying for the security bill, though friends of the Sussexes claimed this week that the couple would be paying for protecting out of their own pocket.
According to the anonymous source, the couple are not ‘asking for any special treatment’ with regard to their security situation, and ‘have not received any’.
Harry and Meghan Markle have been living in a Beverly Hills mansion owned by Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry with their son Archie since mid-March, after moving over from Canada.
Daily Mail reported that the couple has experienced ‘unimaginable’ levels of intrusion from the press while living in the Beverly Hills mansion during the coronavirus pandemic, including paparazzi-operated drones illegally flying within 20 feet of their house to snap photographs.
At least five such incidents have been reported to the LAPD.
The couple has been spotted only a handful of times since their move to Los Angeles, first volunteering for a local charity dropping off food to locals who are more at risk of catching coronavirus, as well as taking their beloved dogs out for a walk.
The Duke and Duchess were unexpectedly stripped of their Metropolitan Police security team after their move to North America following their announcement they were stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family earlier this year.
