A former bodyguard for U.S. presidents is protecting Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex as part of a security detail for the royals on a European trip after Scotland Yard declined to provide security.
Christopher Sanchez, who worked in the Secret Service for five years to protect former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, accompanied the royals on their first joint trip to Europe since they resigned from royal duties two years ago.
Sanchez now works for a private security firm that offers security packages for wealthy clients, including diplomats. Sanchez began his career as a police officer in 1996 before transitioning to the Secret Service in 1999. During his stint in the Secret Service, Sanchez overlapped with Bush for two years and helped with the transition between Bush and Obama, according to the Times of London.
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Sanchez’s work included ensuring that travel routes and locations in and outside the United States were safe. He is now a director for the private security company Torchstone.
The royal couple, who live in California, visited England to see Queen Elizabeth II before going to The Hague in the Netherlands for the Invictus Games over Easter weekend. Harry founded the competition in 2004 to help rehabilitate disabled military personnel and veterans. The couple reportedly took part in several events, including a reading class with other competitors and a Land Rover challenge. Sanchez was reportedly one of up to five bodyguards for the couple.
In The Hague, the couple were given the status of “very very important people,” which meant the couple received additional security from local police and the Dutch royal protection unit, according to Great Britain News.
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The visit was Meghan’s first trip overseas since alleging a member of the royal family raised concerns over the color of her son Archie’s skin during a tell-all interview with Oprah last year. Harry returned to England twice last year, once to attend the funeral of his grandfather Prince Phillip and then for the unveiling of a statue of his mother, Princess Diana.
