Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have shut down any speculation that they plan to ask the U.S. government to cover their security costs following their move to Los Angeles.
A spokesperson for the couple released a statement to ITV on Sunday, March 29, just a few hours after President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. “will not pay for their security protection.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources. Privately funded security arrangements have been made,” their representative said on Sunday.
Earlier that day, Trump, 73, announced that the U.S. will not be funding Harry and Meghan’s security team in a post on Twitter. His tweet comes just three days after the royal couple left Vancouver Island, Canada, where they had been living since announcing their decision to step back from senior royal duties.
“I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom,” Trump began. “It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!”
According to The Sun, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, “have moved permanently to California” with their 10-month-old son, Archie. The prince and the Suits alum are reportedly self-quarantining in the Hollywood area, as the U.S. continues its fight against COVID-19, which has surpassed 600,000 cases worldwide and killed over 2,000 people in the U.S.
One month before Harry and Meghan relocated to the Golden State, the Canadian government announced that it would no longer cover the pair’s security costs after their official exit from the royal family on March 31.
“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,” a statement from the office of Public Safety Canada obtained by Us Weekly on February 27 read. “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had nothing but kind words for the royal couple, however, despite Canada’s later decision to cut off security funding.
“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 a lot of discussions to be had,” the 48-year-old politician explained in an interview with Canada’s Global News on January 13. “There is a general feeling of appreciation for the Sussexes.”
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