Jun 1, 2009, 10:45 GMT
The British royal family will be assigned up to 150 extra armed protection officers.
Scotland Yard is reportedly recruiting more staff because the current security team can't keep up with royal's hectic schedules.
Some protection officers are said to be working up to 70 hours a week, leaving them fighting fatigue and sacrificing their home lives.
The high workload is also costing approximately £30,000 in overtime payments per year for each of the 400 royal bodyguards.
A senior official told Britain's The Times newspaper: "There has been a substantial increase in the recruitment of protection officers in recent months.
"The protection unit is the biggest overtime earners in the Metropolitan Police Service. Some earn an extra £20,000 to £30,000 a year. Obviously there is an additional risk if you are an armed protection officer and you are working 60-70 hours a week."
The decision to bolster royal protection is the result of a review that has also raised questions about the costs of looking after junior members of the royal family.
The review was launched after it was revealed security for Princess Beatrice's 2007 gap year cost £250,000.
A police spokesman said "health and safety issues" were raised by protection officers working long hours but refused to comment on royal security matters.
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