We need to talk about Harry and Meghan again because now that they're moving back to the UK, it has completely, unsurprisingly, reignited the debate over there over whether the UK taxpayer will or should fund the security for Harry and his family.

Now, the Daily Mail is already warning today that it will cost the taxpayer over there about £5 million a year, which is a fair chunk of change, right?

You know I have little to no regard for these two. Frankly, I think they are some of the most brazen grifters of my generation. But there is no question in my mind that they should be given full protection in the UK.

Not because they're entitled to it as working royals, but because Harry is entitled to it as the son of the King. He did not choose to become a royal, he just is. And with that comes interest and threats that he has not invited.

Obviously, some of it he has, but some of it simply comes with being the son of the King.

And so he and his family should, by dint of his birth, have that protection. But especially because of how people regard him now, two-thirds of that country do not like Harry.

When his grandmother was alive and just before he stepped back from royal duties, he and Queen Elizabeth were the only two royal family members who were put in the most high-risk category for security.

That will not have changed for him. In fact, it's probably got worse.

And by the way, it is not unusual for people in the public eye in the UK to have security. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has security.

How can Gordon Brown, who's no longer a Prime Minister, have security, but the son of the King cannot?

Harry should, because he and his family will be harassed. That is not...

It's not a maybe, it is a given.

And again, his kids, like him, have not chosen to be born into this. They do not deserve to be hurt by this.

My suspicion actually is that this has already been sorted behind the scenes because Harry had previously been adamant that he could not live in the UK without security being provided by the state.

So it's hard to imagine that he's made this call, completely changed his mind and put his kids in harm's way without some kind of an assurance.

If he has, then fair enough.

The royal family owes him nothing. The taxpayer owes him nothing but just one thing, which is that he and his family remain safe.

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<p class="PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer" data-start="69" data-end="316">We need to talk about Harry and Meghan again because now that they're moving back to the UK, it has completely, unsurprisingly, reignited the debate over there over whether the UK taxpayer will or should fund the security for Harry and his family.</p>
<p data-start="318" data-end="469">Now, the Daily Mail is already warning today that it will cost the taxpayer over there about £5 million a year, which is a fair chunk of change, right?</p>
<p data-start="471" data-end="687">You know I have little to no regard for these two. Frankly, I think they are some of the most brazen grifters of my generation. But there is no question in my mind that they should be given full protection in the UK.</p>
<p data-start="689" data-end="917">Not because they're entitled to it as working royals, but because Harry is entitled to it as the son of the King. He did not choose to become a royal, he just is. And with that comes interest and threats that he has not invited.</p>
<p data-start="919" data-end="1008">Obviously, some of it he has, but some of it simply comes with being the son of the King.</p>
<p data-start="1010" data-end="1185">And so he and his family should, by dint of his birth, have that protection. But especially because of how people regard him now, two-thirds of that country do not like Harry.</p>
<p data-start="1187" data-end="1388">When his grandmother was alive and just before he stepped back from royal duties, he and Queen Elizabeth were the only two royal family members who were put in the most high-risk category for security.</p>
<p data-start="1390" data-end="1459">That will not have changed for him. In fact, it's probably got worse.</p>
<p data-start="1461" data-end="1600">And by the way, it is not unusual for people in the public eye in the UK to have security. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has security.</p>
<p data-start="1602" data-end="1704">How can Gordon Brown, who's no longer a Prime Minister, have security, but the son of the King cannot?</p>
<p data-start="1706" data-end="1778">Harry should, because he and his family will be harassed. That is not...</p>
<p data-start="1780" data-end="1812">It's not a maybe, it is a given.</p>
<p data-start="1814" data-end="1922">And again, his kids, like him, have not chosen to be born into this. They do not deserve to be hurt by this.</p>
<p data-start="1924" data-end="2121">My suspicion actually is that this has already been sorted behind the scenes because Harry had previously been adamant that he could not live in the UK without security being provided by the state.</p>
<p data-start="2123" data-end="2266">So it's hard to imagine that he's made this call, completely changed his mind and put his kids in harm's way without some kind of an assurance.</p>
<p data-start="2268" data-end="2296">If he has, then fair enough.</p>
<p data-start="2298" data-end="2427" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">The royal family owes him nothing. The taxpayer owes him nothing but just one thing, which is that he and his family remain safe.</p>
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With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Harry and Meghan deserve security when they return to the UK

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f4d3f915-a717-4ec6-8628-b4ad005c871f/transcript