Breaking News: Royal Family in Tears and Mourning, Meghan Markle Devastated After Prince Harry’s Shocking Announcement… Read More

“She wants him to be free of all of this, but she also knows that because of everything he’s been through and his love for [her and their children], he can’t. She wants him to live in a world where he is not burdened by this,” says the former staffer.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, has been involved in several legal battles in recent years, but according to multiple well-placed insiders, no issue is more critical to him than security. Stripped of his Metropolitan Police bodyguards in 2020, Harry has been fighting ever since to reinstate police protection for himself and his family. He lost his bid to restore his taxpayer-funded security earlier this year. (He has plans to appeal.)Multiple well-placed insiders in the Duke of Sussex’s circle tell PEOPLE that Harry believes his father has the power to reinstate his security. Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source tells PEOPLE the notion that Harry’s security is in Charles’s hands is “wholly incorrect.”

The issue has created an impenetrable wall between Harry and Charles. The conversation has now shifted from frustration to “complete silence” from the King, claims a friend of Harry’s.