Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have hired a former secret service agent who used to protect former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
Christopher Sanchez, has been photographed with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex while attending the Invictus Games in the Netherlands this week.
Sanchez left the Secret Service in 2013 and works as the Vice President of private security firm TorchStone Global.
He spoke openly about his time serving under the two presidents, saying in a 2020 podcast interview, “Secret Service agents are the best in the world at what we do.”
He added: “I spent five years on the president’s details and I was lucky enough to be there during a transition, so I spent the last two-and-a-half years with President Bush and the first two-and-a-half years of President Obama. I was just grateful to be a part of it.”
The hire comes after Harry has been fighting for increased security since he and Markle stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California in 2020.
In January, Harry petitioned the British government to provide security for him while he visits the UK, which he claimed he would pay for. And the next month, he shared in a statement through is lawyers that he “does not feel safe.”
While he has his own private security team, Harry has expressed concern that there still needs to be more protection.
“The UK will always be Prince Harry’s home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in. With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk,” his lawyers argued.
They have since been avoiding returning to the UK over their lack of security presence, and even missed the late Prince Philip’s memorial service over the debacle.
Prior to making their way to the Invictus Games, Meghan and Harry made a pit stop at Windsor Castle to visit Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles for the first time in more than two years.
They left their two kids, Archie, 2, and 10-month-old Lilibet — whom the Queen has still never met in person — back at home.
“We can confirm that they visited the duke’s grandmother, as we previously said he hoped to do,” their spokesperson said. “They stopped by the UK on their way to The Hague to attend the Invictus Games.”
Harry spoke about his reunion with the Queen, telling the BBC on Monday, “She had plenty of messages for Team UK, which I have already passed on to most of them. So, it was great to see her. I’m sure she would love to be here if she could.”
Meanwhile, Markle gushed over her husband at the Invictus Games while introducing him to the crowd.
“I could not love and respect him more and I know that all of you feel the same,” the former “Suits” star said on Saturday night. “He’s the founder of the Invictus Games, and the father to our two little ones, Archie and Lilibet. Please welcome my incredible husband, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.”
The reception at the Invictus Games, which was founded by Harry for injured and sick servicemen and women in 2014, was reportedly filmed for an upcoming Netflix documentary.
