Prince Harry and Meghan Markle face backlash from fans over their security being publicly funded

Publish Date: Wednesday, 15 January 2020, 10:01AM

Last week the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shocked the world when they announced they would be stepping down from their royal duties and would no longer be receiving their Sovereign Grant income - which comes from the money the Queen gets from taxpayers each year.

However, Canadian fans of the monarchy have been left outraged when it was revealed their security would still be funded by taxpayers because of their status as "internationally protected people."

On their website, they stated: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level of security."

Currently, it is believed the cost of security for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - which is met by Scotland Yard’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command - is around £600,000.

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“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this morning that there would be "discussions" on whether taxpayers would have to fund the couple with their impending move to Canada.

In an interview with Canada's Global News, Trudeau said that while his government would play "some role" in Harry and Markle's life in Canada, there would be "lots of discussions" about whether taxpayers would have to fund their security.

"I think most Canadians are very supportive of having royals be here, but how that looks and what kind of costs are involved, there are still lots of discussions to have," the Prime Minister said.

Global News noted that the Canadian government traditionally covers the costs of police protection when world leaders and royals visit the country and that it would likely be obligated under the law to provide security for the couple when they become residents because of their royal status.

After a crisis meeting of senior royals yesterday, the Queen said she had agreed that Prince Harry and Meghan could split their time between the UK and Canada but that "complex matters" would have to be resolved.

The monarch said she had ordered final plans to be drawn up in the next few days.

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