Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's Royal Family Security Training

london, england july 14 catherine, duchess of cambridge and meghan, duchess of sussex applaud ahead of the ladies' singles final match between serena williams of the united states and angelique kerber of germany on day twelve of the wimbledon lawn tennis championships at all england lawn tennis and croquet club on july 14, 2018 in london, england photo by michael steelegetty images

(Image credit: Michael Steele)

published 30 August 2020

In order to join the royal family, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton apparently had to go through some very intense security training.
According to Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, Meghan took part in a staged kidnapping that was an "extremely tense and scary experience."
Kate reportedly completed the same program shortly after her wedding to Prince William in 2011.

Joining the royal family is a whole thing. In addition to the obvious things, like the royal protocols they have to learn and the insane media scrutiny they have to endure, hopeful royals-in-law also have to go through an almost bizarrely intense security training program.

In their best-selling royal biography, Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand described the training Meghan Markle went through in her journey to the royal family, which is reportedly the same program Kate Middleton completed just after her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011.

"Meghan took part in a staged kidnapping, where she was bundled up in a car by a 'terrorist,' taken to a different location, and then 'saved' by officers firing fake guns (the kind used in Hollywood films) for realism," the authors wrote, according to People. "During the mock kidnapping, Meghan was taught to develop a relationship with the enemy. She was also instructed on how to drive a car while in pursuit."

Unsurprising, a source close to Meghan told the authors that it was an "extremely tense and scary experience" for the Duchess of Sussex. No kidding. It sounds like living the movie Taken, which is to say terrifying and intense.

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.