From royalty to the private sector: how a close protection officer is sharing his skills
We met with David Breen MVO, former close protection officer for HRH Prince William, to learn more about royalty protection, how it differs from close protection in the private sector, and what advice he has for those considering a career in close protection.
The career path to royalty protection
Before moving to the private sector, David had a thirty-year career with the Metropolitan Police, with twenty of those years in Royalty Protection, culminating in eight years as team leader of the protection team for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (more recently known as TRHs The Wales Family).
His journey to this high-profile position began with eight years as a uniformed officer in London, then he was selected for the Royalty Protection unit. His first role was a static firearms officer at the royal palaces, including Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Balmoral. Following this, he was successful at passing the highly competitive close protection assessment. He stresses he found the process very challenging.
Policing, and royalty protection in particular, involves extensive training. David benefited from regular training, including firearms, tactical planning, legislation, advanced driving, and the critical soft skills needed for effective interaction with principals and the public, such as teamwork and leadership.
As David progressed through the policing ranks to inspector, he also moved through the levels of close protection. This began with being a ‘backup’ or close protection operative. These operatives handle much of the background work, including inquiries, constant checks, such as the status of local medical facilities and safe havens. In due course, he was promoted to inspector and team leader of the protection team for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Wales family).
The changing challenges of management
As a team leader of a royalty protection team, David’s role and outlook changed significantly, becoming the vital bridge between the royal household and the Metropolitan Police. This role is a delicate balancing act of diplomacy and tact, managing the requirements of both his royal principals and his police managers, especially when it came to changes in policing, such as personnel or policy changes that could impact family life.
“I needed to be honest with both the principals and senior police officers. I was employed by the Met Police and there was a rub between loyalty to my employer and service delivery to the Wales family, including the young Princes and Princess. At times, I needed to have the confidence to say to senior officers, ‘This won’t work, but if you allow and trust me, I can make it work for both parties with effective consultation’, without appearing to be disrespectful.”
He strived for a professional and relaxed approach. “The private moments, like holidays, that’s the real challenge. You need to listen to the principal. When I had concerns, I never said no. I would discuss the principal’s wishes, observe policing restrictions, but apply common sense. I would assess private family life considering effective proportionate security arrangements.”
Positives and negatives of working in royalty protection
Despite the challenges, David loved the job. His biggest fulfilment came from bringing in new officers, seeing them develop, and eventually leading on jobs. He found the mentoring process time-consuming but incredibly rewarding.
However, he admits that in the early days, his role impacted his home life too much. After he and his first wife divorced, he realised the importance of balancing work and personal life. “I had failed to identify other personal priorities. I have prioritised in my new relationship, and it has not made any negative impact to my effectiveness at work. Good delegation – not lumbering – and empowering my team is my approach now. Make sure the team knows we have a job to do, but we need to balance work with home life.”
Moving into the private sector
David is now the Head of Protective Services for King Safety and Security (KSS), bringing his empowering approach to this role: “Everyone is different, and all CPOs have different skill sets. I encourage, challenge, give a free rein, while providing support. I don’t have a dictatorial style.”
Effective delivery is the most important thing. Pride and confidence are essential, but there are some big egos in close protection. “I find that some gentle peer pressure and humour can go a long way.”
For David, the change to working in the private sector has meant working with a new set of principals. These could be HNW (High Net Worth) or high profile individuals, celebrities, or wealthy visitors from overseas. They may be at high risk due the nature of their role, or wealth and these risks can include physical assault, kidnap, death threats, or theft.
The primary role of the close protection team is to keep the principal from harm. Of course, in the UK, close protection officers cannot carry firearms (unlike police officers). The scope of a CPO’s role is often referred as an ‘elastic band’. David says: “You adjust your distance based on the situation, from close proximity, ‘on the shoulder’, in high-risk areas to more discrete monitoring in safer environments.” Of course, you must be prepared to step in and physically protect your principal if they are under threat. But as David says, “It is important for CPOs to understand the legislation associated with the role. They must ensure their actions are appropriate and proportionate.”
Advice to those considering a career in close protection
In order to work in close protection in the UK, you must hold an SIA licence in close protection (Level 3 Working as a Close Protection Operative). This can be gained from SIA-compliant training providers. Training includes: threat assessment, physical intervention, briefing, and planning skills. In addition, you need a First Aid at Work qualification and a full UK driving licence.
David says: “Research training providers thoroughly. Look for feedback and recommendations from industry professionals to find a quality institution. Some you can turn up and pass, with the more credible organisations, you need to properly apply yourself.”
Once you have a qualification, managing your expectations is crucial. Many aspiring CPOs complete expensive courses expecting immediate top-tier roles, but the reality is more complex. You are often required to start in entry-level positions like Residential Security Teams (RST). David says: “Some people look down on RST – but this can be a delicate role and this experience is invaluable for building skills.”
He also advises to network in person and use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with experienced CPOs. “Listen to their advice and learn from their experiences. Build honest, reciprocal relationships within the industry.”
Being open to freelance work with various security firms is also a positive move. “This flexibility can lead to more stable employment opportunities.”
Are you right for the job?
Not everyone is suited to close protection work. At KSS, they run selection days. David advocates these for all organisations in the close protection space. “It’s important to see people in person. We assess personality and skills and develop a score matrix. This gives us tangible results that we can feedback to applicants. Successful or not. I believe in being direct with people if we think they’re not suitable.”
You will need a wide set of skills and you may have these from previous roles in policing or the military. But David is clear that a previous job in either of these occupations is not essential. Here’s a summary of the traits he’s looking for – but don’t worry, not everyone will have all these traits from day one:
- Strong communication skills and interpersonal skills — essential for coordinating with the principal, team members, and other stakeholders.
- Calm under pressure — crucial for making sound decisions swiftly.
- Multi-tasking — managing multiple tasks simultaneously, from planning routes to responding to immediate threats.
- Teamwork and leadership — a CPO must work well within a team, often leading in certain situations while following in others.
- Resilience — the role demands both physical and mental endurance to handle long hours and “it may require a lot of waiting around”.
- High standards and integrity — always be punctual, presentable, and honest. David says: “You must represent your principal effectively. Your behaviour directly impacts their reputation and your own career.”
- Physical Fitness — combat skills and fitness levels inspire confidence in the principal, but David says: “The physical side is really a small part of what a CPO does, but the principal needs to have confidence in you.”
A call to the industry to improve standards
In his transition from royalty protection to the private sector, David has noted two areas where he makes a call to the industry to improve standards.
Firstly, he is frustrated at the varying levels of training course providers: “These courses cost of lot of money and it is a competitive business. I don’t have the answer, but we need to establish more consistent standards. Candidates are paying upwards of £3k – they think they are going to walk into high powered job and they are not.”
Secondly, David is keen for more women to enter the world of close protection. The commercial reality is some clients insist on female CPOs. He calls on everyone in close protection to do more to recruit women into this field. Additionally, he challenges the women already there: “Be the trailblazers, mentor other women and encourage them to join us.”
David Breen embodies the discreet, unobtrusive, and respectful approach to close protection that he advocates. He demonstrates that a career in close protection is both demanding and rewarding. It requires a blend of technical skills, personal attributes, and professionalism.
Andrea Berkoff
