Police protection for Prince William has been increased because of fears that animal rights activists will carry out threats made by the Hunt Retribution Squad, a violent group also implicated in attacks on Princess Anne and some members of Parliament in 1992-94.

The London Times reported on January 9 that the prince and princess are apparently targeted because they take part in fox hunts. Security has tightened around the prince at Eton, and William has cancelled participation in some hunt meets.

The HRS was implicated in several attempts to bomb sites visited by Princess Anne in the early 1990s; in some cases incendiary devices were found. The group also sent a letter threatening the Prince and Princess and any other members of the royal family "attending any establishment or event that had links with the fur trade, fox-hunting, and field sports," a former royal bodyguard told the Times.