President Trump said the United States will not pay the estimated $1 million-a-year security costs for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as they settle in Los Angeles.
“I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom,” Trump tweeted Sunday. ”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!”
I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. 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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
The couple married in May 2018 and welcomed son Archie in May 2019. Harry and Meghan relocated to Canada in November and announced they intended to stop using their styles and split their time between the U.K. and North America.
In February, the Canadian government announced it would no longer pay for security for the royal couple after they step down as working royals. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has provided security at taxpayers’ expense since November 2019 because they were classified as “internationally protected” persons. They lose the “internationally protected” status as of March 31.
The duke and duchess moved to California last week before the U.S.-Canadian border was closed to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to a report.
A royal insider told the Sun that the move had been long-planned, and the couple “have a big support network [in Los Angeles]. It’s where their new team of Hollywood agents and PRs and business managers are based.”
