Royal Family Facing Staffing Crisis [DETAILS HERE]
The police squad that assigns bodyguards for the Royal Family is facing a staffing crisis, which could cause a lot of problems for the Firm.
According to The Daily Mail, there is a total of 91 vacancies that have not been fill in, particularly the Royal and Specialist Protection unit. It is 20% short of the recommended full strength.
The squad has faced increasing demands in recent years, as the Royal Family continues to grow with new members -- including Meghan Markle. They also provide close security for members of the parliament, including the Prime Minister and the senior Ministers.
Home Office civil servants said that they previously cautioned the rise in the number of VIPs meant the unit needed to be amplified from 449 to 540 officers.
Despite extra funding, an internal report by the Metropolitan Police uncovered the force has found it extremely tough to deliver or subcontract the training courses to fill the openings.
In 2016 and 2017, 47 officers from the Royalty and Protection unit received an average of £106,383.
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said they're not prepared to discuss matters of security to the public.
Special Nicknames
The Express reported that to protect the identity of 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, they use a particular code name for her.
Security protection officers and staff also refer to the 93-year-old as "S" in written communications, which is thought to be about her being the "Sovereign."
The code name was revealed by a royal aide who was visiting a cathedral town on surveillance ahead of a royal visit.
"She's written down as 'S' before cupping his hand over his mouth and whispering, 'It's Sharon,' when pressed on what 'S' stood for," the royal aide said.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers revealed that it is highly likely because of the purpose of any sobriquet is that it should be anonymous and memorable.
The Daily Mail reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's code names are David Stevens and Davina Scott.
The royal family also has adorable nicknames for each other too.
Prince George calls the Queen "Gan-Gan."
The Queen's husband, Prince Philip, calls his wife "Lilibet."
Kate Middleton calls her husband, Prince William, "Baldy," while he refers to Kate as "Duchess of Dolittle" in reference to reports the Queen was worried about her lack of career when they started dating.
Prince Wills also revealed that he jokingly called the Queen, "Gary" because he struggled to pronounce "Granny" when he was little.
The royals also call the Queen "mama;" however, new additions like the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex are still not allowed to use the nickname until they get to know her better.
