Why the number of stalkers tormenting the Royal Family could take a 'worrying turn'

The Royal Family has been tormented by 170 stalkers but an expert has revealed why he fears it could take a 'worrying turn'.

• The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family are said to be plagued by stalkers and it's feared its only going to get worse.
• The Firm's public fall-out and Prince Andrew's shame is expected to cause a surge in stalkers it's claimed.
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes as the Queen misses the State Opening of Parliament (opens in new tab).

The Royal Family are being pestered by 170 stalkers and 10 of these are listed on the Met Police's 'highest danger level'.

The Queen is the wealthiest member of the Royal Family (opens in new tab) who has fans across the world but her popularity brings with it caution as some obsessive fans have taken their love of the Queen and other royals to a frightening level.

And according to a Freedom of Information by The Mirror (opens in new tab), there were 170 stalkers hassling The Firm (opens in new tab) in 2021, 10 of which are said to be ranked on the police's 'highest danger level'.

It comes after it was revealed earlier this month that a 'fake priest' ate, drank and spent the night in Windsor Castle (opens in new tab) , just months earlier security measures were stepped up after a crossbow intruder (opens in new tab) got access on Christmas Day and a security breach was reported in May last year after two intruders gained access to the Royal Lodge (opens in new tab).

Former head of Royal Protection Dai Davies said, “The vast majority of people fixated with the Royal Family are harmless but there are always concerns that their obsession could take a worrying turn.

"In most cases the police can use mental health legislation to help those that if left untreated could pose a risk.

“It would not surprise me in the least if the negative publicity that has surrounded Prince Andrew and Prince Harry has caused an increase in the numbers of individuals that have come to the notice of the police.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sparked a Royal Family 'fall-out' (opens in new tab) when they quit the UK after stepping back as senior working members of the Royal Family (opens in new tab) to settle down in LA (opens in new tab). And Prince Andrew, 61, reached an out-of-court settlement (opens in new tab) with Virginia Giuffre earlier this year, meaning he will no longer face trial on claims that he sexually abused and raped her on three separate occasions when she was 17. And it's feared the stalker threat will only increase in coming months as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee (opens in new tab).

Meanwhile, in 2020 there were 141 suspects were referred to the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre - a unit that is staffed by police, psychiatrists and mental health nurses.