It was reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s stay in Canada cost taxpayers more than USD$40,000. However, there is a reimbursement plan underway. In March, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry relocated to Los Angeles amid the height of the coronavirus outbreak. The royal couple has some unsettled things to sort out from their stay in Canada. Prior to Los Angeles, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stayed in Canada on Vancouver Island for a while during the end of 2019 and the start of 2020.
They stepped down from royal duties after going through years of abuse from British tabloids. Now that they call America home, the couple still has to face the cost of their security measures which were paid by Canadian taxpayers. Based on Page Six and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ran up to more than USD$41,500 in security fees from November 18 to January 19. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is a watchdog group said that this number only reflects The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s “overtime, travel, meals, incidentals, and accommodations,” and could actually be much higher once everything is taken into consideration.
Almost 100,000 Canadians signed a petition that said that they should not be held responsible for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s security. Nevertheless, there are reports that the royals have a reimbursement plan underway. The Telegraph reported in January that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will “reimburse the taxpayer for security provided on private business engagements with no royal connection” if they are “commercially successful.” (This arrangement is similar to the one former Prime Minister Tony Blair used.)
There are no reports about how much Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are earning the past few months but they seemed to be successful and cautious about placing an added burden on the Canadian taxpayers, so hopefully this plan works! /TISG