Canada won’t pay for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle security

Canada will stop paying to protect the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when they leave public life next month, the country’s public safety minister said, leaving questions over who will pay for the pair’s rocketing security bill.

Meghan and Harry are expected to live mainly in North America after Megxit at the end of March and the local authorities had been expected to shoulder a share of the bill along with the British Metropolitan Police.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly assured the Queen when Megxit was announced in January that Harry and Meghan would be kept safe while living in his country.

But yesterday in a statement the Office of the Minister of Public Safety said they had stepped in to provide security only because they had to because the royals were internationally protected people, and when their status changed, so would the arrangement.

Meghan Markle is pictured above taking her two dogs for a walk with baby Archie with Canadian security guards

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pictured above earlier this month. It is said that costs to keep the couple safe are continuing to soar

Prince Harry is pictured above leaving Victoria International Airport in Victoria 

Harry and Meghan’s travels this year and where they are expected to be going in March 

The statement read: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex choosing to relocate to Canada on a part-time basis presented our government with a unique and unprecedented set of circumstances.

‘The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) has been engaged with officials in the UK from the very beginning regarding security considerations.

‘As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognised as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis.

‘At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the RCMP has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada intermittently since November 2019.

‘The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status.’

It was unclear tonight whether the couple would now foot a larger share of their own security bill or if British taxpayers will be left to foot it.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the development as did Scotland Yard with a spokeswoman saying ‘we don’t discuss matters of security’.

Prince Harry greets Justin Trudeau in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in London during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018. Mr Trudeau had previously promised that the couple would be safe when in Canada 

The Duchess of Sussex, then Meghan Markle, speaks to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the One Young World summit in Ottowa in September 2016. Mr Trudeau previously said that any security arrangements for the couple would be confidential 

Harry and Meghan spent their first Christmas with baby Archie at this £10million waterfront mansion on Vancouver Island in Canada

Who will foot the bill for Meghan and Harry’s security costs?

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RMCP) today revealed that they will cease to provide security for Meghan and Harry once they officially step back from their royal duties.

Canadian officials said that this had been a deal that was brokered with the Met Police in London.

In their roles as senior royals, the couple had their security paid for by the state and once they step back from these officials roles in the coming weeks it has not yet been clear as to who will foot the bill.

According to the Royals’ 2018-2019 financial reports, physical security is not covered by the Sovereign Grant.

The costs are likely to fall on British taxpayers even when the prince and the former actress move to Canada on a permanent basis.

This could be due to the fact that Harry has been a high-value target since serving in the military.

But Prince Harry is still set to receive money from his father from the Duchy Estate and could use these funds to pay to keep his family safe. 

Harry is worth an estimated £30million, made up partly from funds left in a trust to him by his mother, Princess Diana, inheritance from the Queen Mother (which reportedly included her jewels) and partly from his earnings as a captain of the Army. 

If Meghan were to go back to acting she could be in for a princely sum of money, as she made £3million from appearing on American TV show Suits. 

It had previously been estimated that security costs for the couple would rocket to £20 million.

In January Mr Trudeau said the Canadian government had ‘not really’ been involved in any negotiations around the couple’s arrangement in Canada.

But he did highlight that any such details would be confidential.

He also assured the Queen that the family would be safe while in his country, with Canada expected to pay around half of the annual bill.

Tensions have been rising in recent weeks as questions continued to arise as to who would pay for their security costs.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation had previously given a petition with 80,000 signatures to the Prime Minister’s Office insisting that Canadian taxpayer money should not be given to Harry and Meghan.

They are due to officially leave the British Monarchy on March 31.

Harry and Meghan are entitled to 24/7 taxpayer-funded protection at home and abroad as members of the Royal Family, whether on official duties or on holiday.

The couple believe this should continue, but Scotland Yard have privately insinuated that they are not in the position to write an open-ended cheque for round-the-clock security if the couple are living abroad.

Former Home Office minister Norman Baker called for the Met Police to cap the annual expenditure on security for Harry and Meghan to its 2019 level, with any extra costs met by the couple or the Queen and Prince of Wales.

Security sources previously said that there is ‘no agreement or concrete plan’ in place when it comes to who will actually fund their security team.

The Duke of Sussex released this photograph of him with baby Archie on New Year’s Eve, while the family were in Canada 

Police in Canada have today revealed that they will stop paying Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security costs after the pair officially step back from royal life (the couple are pictured above in London last month)

The couple insisted in their statement last week that they need security ‘to protect them and their son’ amid controversy surrounding protection costs

‘Just call me Harry!’: Prince DROPS his royal title as he returns to Britain without Meghan to launch an eco-friendly tourism firm in Edinburgh – after arriving by train

The Duke of Sussex this week embarked on his final round of engagements as a senior working royal as he launched a new eco-friendly travel firm in Edinburgh – and asked delegates ‘just to call him Harry’.

Prince Harry, who will step down as a senior royal in less than five weeks, is in the Scottish capital for a ‘working summit’ of the Travalyst partnership, which will feature a grading system for users to track their carbon emissions.

Before he took to the stage on Wednesday, host Ayesha Hazarika, a former Labour adviser, said: ‘He’s made it clear that we are all just to call him Harry. So ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm, Scottish welcome to Harry.’

Asking to be addressed simply as Harry, he said the industry in Scotland was at the forefront of making the sector greener

Harry flew to Britain from Canada on a commercial flight earlier this week and arrived in Edinburgh on an eco-friendly LNER train from London King’s Cross station, with taxpayer-funded Scotland Yard bodyguards.  

The 35-year-old Duke, who is officially known as the Earl of Dumbarton when in Scotland, has been stung by criticism over the past six months of his frequent use of private jets while campaigning on environmental issues.  

Harry’s flight to Britain this week was believed to have been the seventh flight the Queen’s grandson has taken so far this year – following return trips from Vancouver Island to London, Miami in Florida and Palo Alto in California. 

On Tuesday royal experts criticised Harry and Meghan’s ‘unsustainable’ security plans and warned costs could ‘spiral out of control’ as the predicted bill rocketed to £20 million a year. 

Experts claimed the couple’s jet-set lifestyle and move to Canada could leave the police unable to cope as they undertake trips to various countries in order to establish their own brand away from the British Monarchy.

Royal author Phil Dampier told MailOnline: ‘The cost of security was always going to be a major problem for Harry and Meghan and it doesn’t surprise me that the bill seems to be going up and up. 

‘The travelling they do around North America is going to put an immense strain on resources as both they and their son Archie need to be protected 24/7 and Scotland Yard detectives will tend to work shifts of two weeks on two weeks off.

‘If you add the costs of them having to travel to and from the UK for leave it could spiral out of control and become absolutely ridiculous. So in the long term I don’t think it is sustainable.’

Harry Meghan and their son Archie have been in different locations over the last few months and officers are believed to be drafting new plans to double their protection team. 

They have previously been criticised for their carbon-heavy jet-set lifestyle despite frequently flaunting their eco credentials.  

In a statement last week Prince Harry and Meghan said they ‘will continue to require effective security to protect them and their son.’

They sparked fury by insisting the taxpayer should cough up ‘based on the Duke’s public profile by virtue of being born a royal, his military service, the Duchess’s independent profile.’ 

Harry and Meghan’s new website has a question and answer section for visitors, and in response to the posed question ‘Does their future financial autonomy extend to covering the costs of security?’, the site attempts to give an explanation.

It states: ‘The provision of armed security by the Metropolitan Police is mandated by the Home Office, a ministerial department of Her Majesty’s Government, responsible for security and law & order.’

Prince Harry was seen carrying his own suit through Edinburgh Waverley earlier this week (left) after arriving with his team (right). The team are believed to be part of his UK security team that is funding by the UK taxpayer 

In an update to the website published last week, the portal adds: ‘It is agreed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to require effective security to protect them and their son.

‘This is based on the Duke’s public profile by virtue of being born into the royal family, his military service, the duchess’ own independent profile, and the shared threat and risk level documented specifically over the last few years.

‘No further details can be shared as this is classified information for safety reasons.’

Mr Baker, a former Liberal Democrat MP, said: ‘For the Met to have to provide full security abroad will significantly impact on their ability to look after London and Londoners.

‘Do we want the Met’s budget devoted to tackling terrorism, knife crime, assaults and burglary in the capital, or do we want them flying around the US and Canada, accompanying Harry and Meghan as they enrich themselves through their commercial activities?’

The duke and duchess plunged the royal family into a period of crisis when they announced in January they wanted to step back as senior royals and become financially independent – a move dubbed Megxit by the press.

A summit of senior royals was later convened by the Queen at Sandringham to discuss the issue, with Harry sitting down for talks with his grandmother, father the Prince of Wales and brother the Duke of Cambridge.

It was later announced they would give up royal duties, split their time between Canada and the UK, with the majority spent in North America, no longer be known as HRH, and their lives as working royals would end on March 31.

The couple also infuriated people earlier this week after the Queen banned them from using their Sussex Royal branding.

Harry and Meghan’s statement on their website in full

AS AGREED AND SET OUT IN JANUARY 2020: 

• It is agreed that the commencement of the revised role of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take effect Spring 2020 and undergo a 12 month review. 

• The Royal Family respect and understand the wish of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex to live a more independent life as a family, by removing the supposed ‘public interest’ justification for media intrusion into their lives. They remain a valued part of Her Majesty’s family. 

• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will become privately funded members of The Royal Family with permission to earn their own income and the ability to pursue their own private charitable interests. 

• The preference of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex was to continue to represent and support Her Majesty The Queen albeit in a more limited capacity, while not drawing on the Sovereign Grant.

• While there is precedent for other titled members of the Royal Family to seek employment outside of the institution, for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a 12-month review period has been put in place. 

• Per the agreement The Duke and Duchess of Sussex understand that they are required to step back from Royal duties and not undertake representative duties on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen. 

• As agreed and set out in January, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will retain their ‘HRH’ prefix, thereby formally remaining known as His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer actively use their HRH titles as they will no longer be working members of the family as of Spring 2020. 

• As the grandson of Her Majesty and second son of The Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex remains sixth in line to the throne of The British Monarchy and the Order of Precedence is unchanged. 

• It was agreed that The Duke and Duchess will no longer be able to formally carry out ‘official duties’ for The Queen or represent The Commonwealth, but they will, however, be allowed to maintain their patronages (including those that are classified as ‘royal’ patronages). 

• It is agreed that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to require effective security to protect them and their son. This is based on The Duke’s public profile by virtue of being born into The Royal Family, his military service, the Duchess’ own independent profile, and the shared threat and risk level documented specifically over the last few years. No further details can be shared as this is classified information for safety reasons.

• In relation to the military, The Duke of Sussex will retain the rank of Major, and honorary ranks of Lieutenant Commander, and Squadron Leader. During this 12-month period of review, The Duke’s official military appointments will not be used as they are in the gift of the Sovereign. No new appointments will be made to fill these roles before the 12-month review of the new arrangements is completed. 

• While per the agreement, The Duke will not perform any official duties associated with these roles, given his dedication to the military community and ten years of service he will of course continue his unwavering support to the military community in a non-official capacity. As founder of the Invictus Games, The Duke will proudly continue supporting the military community around the world through the Invictus Games Foundation and The Endeavour Fund. 

• Based on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s desire to have a reduced role as members of The Royal Family, it was decided in January that their Institutional Office would have to be closed, given the primary funding mechanism for this official office at Buckingham Palace is from HRH The Prince of Wales. The Duke and Duchess shared this news with their team personally in January once they knew of the decision, and have worked closely with their staff to ensure a smooth transition for each of them. 

• Over the last month and a half, The Duke and Duchess have remained actively involved in this process, which has understandably been saddening for The Duke and Duchess and their loyal staff, given the closeness of Their Royal Highnesses and their dedicated team. 

• As The Duke and Duchess will no longer be considered full-time working Members of The Royal Family, it was agreed that use of the word ‘Royal’ would need to be reviewed as it pertains to organisations associated with them in this new regard. More details on this below. 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: 

• As shared in early January on this website, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not plan to start a ‘foundation’, but rather intend to develop a new way to effect change and complement the efforts made by so many excellent foundations globally. 
• The creation of this non-profit entity will be in addition to their cause driven work that they remain deeply committed to. While The Duke and Duchess are focused on plans to establish a new non-profit organisation, given the specific UK government rules surrounding use of the word ‘Royal’, it has been therefore agreed that their non-profit organisation will not utilise the name ‘Sussex Royal’ or any other iteration of ‘Royal.’ 
• For the above reason, the trademark applications that had been filed as protective measures and that reflected the same standard trademarking requests as done for The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have been removed. 
• While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word ‘Royal’ overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use ‘Sussex Royal’ or any iteration of the word ‘Royal’ in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020. 
• As The Duke and Duchess of Sussex continue to develop their non-profit organisation and plan for their future, we hope that you use this site as the source for factual information. In Spring 2020, their digital channels will be refreshed as they introduce the next exciting phase to you. 

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk