Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s security costs won’t be paid by Canadian taxpayers and current financial support will end within weeks, police say
- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has been protecting the couple and Archie
- Protection will cease in weeks as the pair officially step back from royal duties
- Comes after weeks of speculations that Canadian taxpayers would pay for them
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 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RMCP) has protected the couple and their baby Archie since November but has now said this will cease in the ‘coming weeks’.
It comes after weeks of speculation that Canadian taxpayers would have to foot the bill to keep the Sussexes safe.
The RCMP stated that it had been providing the pair with protection as requested by the Met Police, due to the fact that they were Internationally Protected Persons.
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)
In a statement to CBC the RMCP said the Duke and Duchess moving to Canada on a part-time basis had presented their government with a ‘unique and unprecedented set of circumstances’.
‘The RCMP 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.’
It added that these protection measures had been at the request of the Met.
‘The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status.’
In January Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Canadian government had ‘not really’ been involved in any negotiations around the couple’e arrangement in Canada.
But he did highlight that any such details would be confidential.
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.