English
Français
Español
العربية
Русский
中文
Executives and boards
Business travel, board meetings, negotiations and site visits, where schedules are tight and exposure comes with the role.
Praetorian / Close protection
Protection that fits your life.
Discreet close protection, known in the United States as executive protection, for executives, families and guests, at home and while travelling. The arrangement starts with your situation, your schedule and the level of exposure.
Discuss your requirements ↗What it is
Close protection, explained plainly.
Close protection in London and Paris, executive protection in New York and Miami: two names for the same discipline.
Close protection is the planned, personal protection of one person or a small group. A bodyguard is the officer who carries it out, but the service is wider than the person standing nearby.
Most of the work happens before anyone is visible. It covers how you travel, where you stay, which venues you visit, who knows your schedule and what could go wrong at each stage. The presence of an officer is the final, visible part of that preparation.
Close protection is not the same as guarding a building. A security guard protects premises. A close protection officer protects a person wherever that person goes, and adapts to a programme that changes during the day.
A professional observer should notice that you are protected. Everyone else should see only a well organised visit.
Who it serves
For people whose time and privacy matter.
Families and family offices
Residences, holidays and family stays, with arrangements that respect children, household staff and daily routines.
Visiting principals and guests
Visitors arriving in an unfamiliar city who want a prepared local arrangement from the first hour of their stay.
Moments in the public eye
Interviews, launches, galas and private events, where attention gathers around one person for a few hours.
And everyone else.
Your situation is not listed here? We consider every request, wherever you are in the world. Describe your situation and we will tell you what can be arranged.
Describe your situation ↗When it is used
The situations we prepare for.
Requests rarely look alike. These are the most common starting points.
Travel and itineraries
Arrivals at airports and stations, transfers, hotels, meetings and evenings out are prepared as one sequence, so that each handover is planned rather than improvised.
Residential stays
A private residence, a rented villa or a hotel suite each raises its own questions: access, staff, deliveries and who comes and goes. Protection is organised around the household’s routine, not the other way round.
Meetings and private events
For a board meeting, a negotiation or a dinner, the arrangement covers arrival, the venue and departure. Where confidentiality matters, a technical sweep of the room can be added beforehand.
A period of concern
Sometimes the request follows a specific worry: unwanted attention, a dispute, publicity or a change in circumstances. The first step is then to understand the situation calmly and decide what level of protection, if any, it calls for.
How it works
From first message to assignment.
Every assignment starts with your situation, not with a fixed number of officers or vehicles.
- First exchange. You share the destination, the dates if known and what concerns you. A few lines are enough; the details come in conversation.
- Assessment. We look at the itinerary, the people concerned, the places involved and the level of exposure. We also ask how visible you want protection to be.
- Recommendation. We propose the resources that serve the situation. That may mean fewer officers than you expected, or no vehicle at all, when a lighter arrangement protects you better.
- Proposal. The proposal confirms the arrangement, the people involved, availability, timing and terms. Nothing is assumed before this stage.
- Preparation. Routes, venues, timings and contacts are prepared ahead of the assignment and coordinated with any chauffeur or technical service included.
- The assignment. The arrangement adapts as plans change during the day, within the scope agreed with you.
The way we size an arrangement is described in more detail in our method.
What can be included
One arrangement, built from the right parts.
Close protection can stand alone or be combined with other Praetorian services in the same brief.
| Element | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Situation assessment | Your programme, the places involved and your exposure, reviewed before any resources are proposed. |
| Advance preparation | Routes, venues, arrival and departure points considered ahead of time. |
| Protection officer or team | Sized to the situation, from a single officer to a coordinated team. |
| Chauffeur | Booked with protection or on its own, with the vehicle agreed for the assignment. See chauffeurs. |
| Technical sweep | Hotel rooms, offices or meeting rooms checked for hidden microphones and cameras with our own equipment. See bug sweeping. |
| Residence review | Access, procedures and vulnerabilities at a home or property. See security audits. |
Each element is proposed only when it serves the assignment.
Discretion
Protection that does not announce itself.
Visible enough to deter. Discreet enough to leave your private life intact.
An imposing presence can make clients and guests uncomfortable, and it tells everyone nearby that something is worth watching. We prefer a measured distance, dress suited to the setting and a manner that fits into your day.
A determined professional will still see that you are protected, which is part of the deterrent. An opportunist will not see it until it matters.
Discretion also concerns information. Your schedule, your addresses and the people around you are shared only with those who need them for the assignment.
Where
In France and internationally.
Destination guides are entry points, not a closed list.
Praetorian Risk Management is based in the United States and works in partnership with Praetorian Close Protection & Support Service in Europe. Assignments are prepared in France and internationally, according to each request.
Our guides cover London, Paris, Dubai, New York, Miami and the French Riviera. Requests for other destinations are assessed in the same way, with resources and availability confirmed in the proposal.
Rules on private protection differ from one country to another. The United Kingdom, France and the United States each have their own licensing frameworks, and every arrangement is prepared within the rules that apply where you will be.
Questions
Questions about close protection.
Close protection combines an assessment of your situation, the preparation of routes and venues, and the presence of one or more officers during your programme. The officer is the visible part. Most of the work is the preparation that comes first.
Yes. Close protection is the usual term in the United Kingdom and Europe, executive protection in the United States. Both describe the planned personal protection of an individual or a small group, and the bodyguard is the officer who provides it.
The cost depends on the destination, the dates, the number of people protected and the resources the situation calls for. We do not publish a standard rate. A proposal is prepared after a first exchange, and it may recommend a lighter arrangement than you expected.
It depends on the destination, the dates and the scope of the request. Availability and timing are assessed after the first exchange and confirmed in the proposal. If your request is urgent, say so in your message.
Not always. The assessment can conclude that a chauffeur, a technical sweep or a few precautions are enough for now. Asking the question is a reasonable step, and it is treated in confidence.
Yes. The chauffeur service can be booked on its own or alongside close protection. When both are needed, transport and protection are prepared together in the same request.
Yes. Requests for other destinations are assessed in the same way. The destination guides describe places we prepare for, not a closed list.
Related
Often requested together.
06 · Contact
Tell us what you need. In confidence.
A few lines are enough to start. We come back to you with questions or a proposal.