Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can take up part-time residency in the United States, but the federal government should not provide them with a security detail unless the British government commits to defraying the costs.
It’s an important concern in the context of Harry and Markle’s relocation to North America. While Canada is to be their first port of call, based on Markle’s acting career and the couple’s stated interest in establishing financial independence, it is likely they will eventually take up part-time residence in the U.S. The Daily Mail suggests they intend to move to Los Angeles after President Trump leaves office.
No problem. That is, as long as the couple doesn’t want a U.S. government security detail. Because if they do want one, and that appears likely based on Canadian concerns over the issue, the U.S. taxpayer faces significant liabilities.
The first issue here is that Harry and Markle intend to retain their membership of the royal family rather than abdicate. That means the U.S. government will recognize them as due protected persons status and thus provide a Diplomatic Security Service detail. Its responsibilities include the protection of non-head-of-state foreign dignitaries on U.S. soil. The DSS is a very capable, protective agency, and similar to the Secret Service, the DSS does not skimp on the resourcing and size of its protective details. This stands the service in contrast to the British approach. After all, although Harry and Markle have an unusually large protective detail by U.K. standards, Britain’s Metropolitan Police Protection Command lacks enough assigned officers and is both underfunded and undertrained.
Hence why the United Kingdom wants the Canadians to fill the gaps when the couple relocates. That will mean a security detail consisting of approximately two Metropolitan Police officers and ten Canadian Mounties from the Protective Policing Service.
But the DSS’s more extensive protective methodology will mean that should Harry and Markle move to the U.S., their security detail will be much larger. It will certainly involve at least twenty DSS special agents. When one considers the salaries, equipment (such as armored vehicles), and logistics (fuel, relocation costs, hotels, etc.) that would be involved here, we’re talking about an annual U.S. taxpayer bill in the tens of millions of dollars.
So as I say, if Harry and Markle want to live in Los Angeles or anywhere else in America, fine. But let’s make sure the British government has agreed to defray taxpayer costs before any protective detail is provided.
