Wills’ pal Taylor Swift given ‘royal treatment’ as she leaves Wembley in huge convoy – Harry must be seething
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be jealous of the protection treatment afforded to Taylor Swift, a former officer has claimed
POP princess Taylor Swift was given the “Royal treatment” by police when she left Wembley after her first UK concert.
A presidential-style cavalcade of luxury cars escorted the 34-year-old US singer from the stadium amid massive security.
The extraordinary protective measures follow the disruption of a suicide bomb plot at a Swift concert in Austria last week
Four police motorcycle outriders from the Met’s Special Escort Group drove ahead of the procession as it pulled away from Wembley on Thursday night.
An unmarked police Volvo filled with plain-clothes officers – believed to be armed – followed the outriders at the head of the convoy of cars.
Swift and her inner entourage travelled behind in four bomb-proof armoured BMW’s containing private security guards.
The star was driven to a secret location where she is staying during her five Wembley dates on the last European leg of The Eras world tour.
Experts described the security operation as more fitting for a head of state or monarch than a celebrity.
Former Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville said: “The Special Escort Group are highly trained officers.
“Some of the officers are armed and they use armoured vehicles.
“Their usual role is to provide close protection to members of the Royal Family, senior Government ministers and visiting heads of state.
“Few people outside those roles are given such high-level security cover and certainly, very few pop stars, no matter how famous.
“Taylor Swift was certainly given the royal treatment.
“Prince Harry, in particular, cannot have been pleased to see Miss Swift being afforded the protection denied to him and his wife.
“He went to the Royal Courts of Justice to try to force the Met into giving him this service.
“Meghan must be spitting feathers that a pop princess, rather than “real” royalty such as her regal self, is provided with such a service by His Majesty’s government.”
The Sun yesterday reported how Met firearms officers mingled with crowds at the first of her return Wembley gigs after playing there earlier in the summer.
High alert
Emotions were running high following the Southport murders of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed school holiday club on 29 July.
Last week Austrian cops found bomb-making equipment and chemicals for producing explosives at the home of a 19-year-old suspect last Wednesday.
Two other suspects, aged 17 and 15, were also held over the plot to detonate a suicide bomb in the crowd outside the Vienna venue where Swift was due to perform.
Swift’s three concerts there were cancelled on police advice.
Afterwards UK counter-terror police and intelligence carried out an assessment of Swift’s London gigs.
There is no specific intelligence about any threat to Swift’s Wembley concerts.
Meghan must be spitting feathers that a pop princess, rather than ‘real’ royalty such as her regal self, is provided with such a service by His Majesty’s government
Former Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville
But ex-Met DCI Mr Neville said: “We know that the threat against Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna was very real.
“Such an attack would have been devastating and no one would want to see a British audience at Wembley Stadium facing that kind of danger.
“There is always a remote risk of a copy-cat attacker trying to gain notoriety by carrying out a similar outrage.
“It explains why the Met are deploying additional security to protect the pop star.
“But was it entirely necessary to have four police motorbike outriders and at least one car full of extra officers to ensure the safety of Miss Swift?”
He added: “All this extra security and additional policing comes at a price.
“Victims of crime who are not as famous as Ms Swift may wish that they could have such a premium service when they are attacked or their house is burgled.”
The Met refused to discuss the security operation for the singer.
Met commander Lou Puddefoot previously said planning for her concerts had been going on for months.
He said : ‘’We are well prepared for this event and the public should expect to see officers, security staff and stewards working together in and around the venue and at transport hubs.’’
The commander added: “We continue to ask the public to remain vigilant and if something doesn’t feel right, to report it to a police officer or in an emergency call 999.”
