Becoming the family of the future Queen of England, Kate Middleton, comes with its hazards and inconveniences. There is definitely the huge increase in publicity and public scrutiny – all of which the Middletons, and especially Kate, seem to be handling well. But there is also a serious downside – the increased threat of becoming a target of violence or terrorism.
Prince William and by extension Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge are of course entitled to official police protection but her family – parents Michael and Carole, sister Pippa Middleton and brother James – are not. A royal source that the Middleton’s ‘have made their own arrangements.’
‘They aren’t guarded 24 hours a day or anything like that. But they are an ordinary family who have been thrust into an extraordinary situation and have needed help and advice.’
These arrangements are handled by ex-Army officer Heyrick Bond-Gunning, a former captain in the Grenadier Guards. Bond-Gunning is the director of Salamanca, a global risk consultancy firm that has been advising the Middletons since the royal engagement was announced last year.
More: Pippa Middleton Shows Off Her Perfect Ass-ets – Photos
Bond-Gunning, 40, played a significant role escorting members of the family on the day of the royal wedding in April. Since then, he and his team, many of whom are ex-soldiers, have provided the family with advice and security regularly. His firm has clients who range from top corporations to Russian billionaires and charges thousands a day for its services.
Bond-Gunning said: ‘We can’t talk about any clients by name.’
Bond-Gunning spent six years in the Grenadier Guards, serving in Macedonia, Kenya and Northern Ireland. Soon after leaving the Army, he was employed by DHL to start a branch in Iraq. He arrived in dangerous Baghdad in 2003 on the first civilian plane to land there after the conflict.
With this type of resume Bond-Gunning should have no problem watching the Middleton’s play polo or escorting Pippa to her aerobics class.
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