Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Canada Trip Cost Taxpayers $20k Per Month
British royals leave Canadian taxpayers with bill after dumping Canada for Los Angeles
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's two-month stay in Canada cost Canadian taxpayers a whopping $40,000 (USD), according to reports.
The British royals racked up an incredible CA$56,384 ($40k) before they dumped the country and moved to Los Angeles, leaving the taxpaying public to pick up the bill.
A citizens advocacy group aimed at lowering taxes, The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, claims it accessed documents showing how much the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spent on the couple's security costs.
Between November 18, 2019, and January 19, 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex managed to blow through the equivalent of $20,000 (USD) per month in taxpayer-funded security, according to the group's report.
Aaron Wudrick, federal director for the advocacy group, said the security bill "could have easily turned into millions" had Meghan and Harry remained in Canada.
They were reportedly living on Vancouver Island before uprooting to Los Angeles, California.
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“More than $50,000 is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you consider the fact that this is taxpayers’ money covering bills for one of the most famous and wealthy couples in the world,” Wudrick said.
The group reported that the bill does not show the salaries of the officers on duty for the couple.
It "only" shows the costs relating to "overtime, travel, meals, incidentals, and accommodations," the report said.
Meghan and Harry's security costs were a hot topic of debate during their stay in Canada.
Vancouver Island appeared to be the first location the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose after announcing they would be stepping down as senior members of the royal family and splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.
Back in January, more than 80,000 Canadians signed an online petition demanding that Meghan and Harry pay for their own security while living there.
Shortly after, Canadian officials announced that the government would no longer provide security after March, when the couple made their official transition from being active members of the royal family, according to reports.
“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,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said.
“The RCMP has been engaged with officials in the U.K. from the very beginning regarding security considerations.”
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He told the CBC that, since Harry and Meghan are currently “Internationally Protected Persons,” the government was obligated to provide them security on an “as-needed basis."
Meghan and Harry's security bill drama escalated once they settled in Los Angeles.
President Donald Trump welcomed the couple via Twitter but made sure to note that American taxpayers won’t be footing the bill to keep them safe.
Meghan and Harry confirmed they never had plans to ask for help in covering their personal security in the U.S.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources,” a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry told Fox News.
“Privately funded security arrangements have been made.”
