Canada HAS Been Providing Security For Prince Harry & Meghan Markle - But That's All About To End!

Back in January, shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their historic announcement about stepping away from their duties as senior members of the Royal family to strike out on their own, a pretty big financial question was asked… and never really answered.

Would the Canadian government pay for the Sussex family’s security??

Typically speaking in England the Royals are kept safe on the taxpayers’ dime — and the monarchy of the UK technically also reigns in Canada. So if Harry and Meghan were going to base their Royal activities in the Great White North the government would be responsible for keeping them safe. But that’s not what the Duke and Duchess said.

No, they said they were going to be financially independent from the fam, meaning they would be making their own money. They’re no longer Royals, but they’re not exactly private citizens either. Harry is still in line for the throne after all (though far enough down not to ever sit).

The Queen’s original statement explaining the details of Megxit notably commented on not commenting on the security question:

“Buckingham Palace does not comment on the details of security arrangements. There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security.”

So no one really knew the answer.

What Canadians did know is they did NOT want to pay. In a poll last month a landslide of 73% said they didn’t think their government should pay for the millionaires’ security, Duke and Duchess or not! Well, after weeks of speculation, the Canadian government has finally provided two answers to the question:

First, Public Safety Canada tells CBC News they have indeed been providing security for Meghan and Harry since November, when they first visited — ostensibly for the holidays at that point, though they obviously knew what they were planning already.

That security has been in the form of Royal Canadian Mounted Police and does not include any measures the couple have taken to protect their privacy from tabloids, such as the reportedly rebuilt fence, privacy tarp, and camera system in the mansion where they’re staying. That’s all on them.

The second answer? That RCMP security is coming to an end! The office of Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says security will no longer be provided starting some time “in the coming weeks” — possibly when the rest of Megxit officially takes effect on April 1.

The statement reads in full:

“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 has been engaged with officials in the U.K. from the very beginning regarding security considerations. As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognized 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.”

Back on January 21, Blair assured Canadians they were NOT footing the bill for the security; that now seems to have been one of those alternative facts. Yes, politicians have them up there, too.

We imagine Canadians will be happy to hear it will be ending as Harry and Meghan become just regular, non-Royal folks… with access to millions of dollars and international fame.

[Image via WENN/Avalon.]