Prince Harry Mocked by Critics After Walking Down NYC Streets Totally Unrecognized: 'Not a Candidate for Taxpayer-Funded VIP Security'
Prince Harry appeared to walk the streets of New York City without being noticed.
Sept. 24 2026, Published 2:56 p.m. ET
Prince Harry was mocked by critics after strolling the busy streets of New York and seemingly going unnoticed, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Duke of Sussex, 42, was caught on video in the Big Apple as oblivious passersby breezed right past the former working royal without so much as a second glance.
Prince Harry Was Able to Walk Down Major NYC Street Unnoticed
A woman jogged directly past Prince Harry on Madison Avenue without giving him a glance.
Video posted to X showed Harry flanked by what appeared to be several aides and at least one burly bodyguard as the group marched down bustling Madison Avenue near sunset on Tuesday, September 22.
The entourage strode past the Wolf & Shepherd flagship store in Midtown, where a woman in workout gear jogged straight past the prince without appearing to notice him.
Two men approaching from the opposite direction walked directly past King Charles III's youngest son without so much as giving him a glance.
'Not a Candidate for Taxpayer-Funded VIP Security'
Two men walked past Prince Harry and didn't seem to notice the royal.
Critics took to social media to poke fun at the Duke of Sussex for seemingly going unnoticed, especially as he continues to argue that his family needs taxpayer-funded armed protection in Britain.
"Ha, looks like Private Citizen Harry can manage to safely walk right past the common people on the streets of New York. So, it seems he has no security concerns or issues after all," one person quipped, while tagging the royal family and Britain's Home Office in the video.
"Imagine leaving royal life to become a global superstar, only to walk through New York City with nobody looking up from their phone. No crowds. No excitement. No one stopping. Just Harry and an unnecessary entourage marching past Wolf & Shepherd. The security detail is attracting more attention than the 'international icon. How dreadful," a second user observed.
"Not a candidate for taxpayer-funded VIP security," a third claimed about the video.
Prince Harry's Bodyguard Cleared Their Path
Prince Harry's bodyguard threw his arm out as they passed a man in a red jacket.
Harry's bodyguard was also criticized after he threw his arm out, seemingly trying to block the path of a man in a red jacket who was walking on the sidewalk.
"If that Dimwit’s bodyguard pushed me, I would push back," a fourth person fumed, while a fifth said, "His bodyguard looks like an overzealous nightclub bouncer! Clearly H will expect RAVEC (Royal and VIP Executive Committee) to do the same and boost his ego even more!"
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Prince Harry Continues to Battle for Taxpayer-Funded Security
Prince Harry has been fighting for a taxpayer-funded security detail in the U.K.
The video seemed to show that Harry could venture out in public without being mobbed by paparazzi or swarmed by adoring fans, even as the duke continues his long-running fight for armed, taxpayer-funded police protection in the U.K. because he is a "public figure."
Harry lost his coveted Internationally Protected Person (IPP) status after he and wife Meghan Markle quit life as working royals in 2020, stripping the couple of the automatic, publicly funded police protection they had previously received while traveling abroad.
He has continued to fight to restore his armed police protection while in the U.K. But officials have only agreed to conduct a fresh review following the Sussexes' return to Britain in late August.
