A lotto luck in storage for us
UK faces full cost of security
A BRITISH Columbia couple said their $375,500 winning lottery ticket almost ended up stowed away in a storage unit.
Robert Walters and Lois Gueret said it went from a drawer to a box that was to be kept tucked away until after they moved house.
CANADA has announced it will not fund Prince Harry and Meghan’s security – meaning British taxpayers face footing the entire bill.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration will no longer contribute to the protection costs once the couple step down as senior royals on March 31.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has helped keep the Duke and Duchess of Sussex safe in the country since they began living at a €13million mansion on Vancouver Island in November.
The decision comes after the Mirror revealed the security bill for the couple, who have indicated they will split their time between Britain and North America, could soar to €24million a year.
Bill Blair, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, said: “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.
“As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognised as internationally protected persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance...
“At the request of the Metropolitan police, the RCMP has been providing assistance to the Met since... November.
“The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status.”
The snub leaves Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, relying on their own money and UK taxpayers to cover the costs. Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, said: “The Canadians pulling out of any previous agreement could have severe consequences...
“Is Canada saying Harry, Meghan and Archie should be treated like any other
Mountie salutes the couple at Canada House in London citizen? If so, their security handlers are entering uncharted territory...
“The Sussexes need protection but they clearly hadn’t thought any of this through before pulling the hasty trigger on their announcements they were leaving their royal roles.”
A security source told the Mirror: “This development has heaped further misery on the Met police and the Home Office who will now need to find further millions to fund the Sussexes.
“The feeling is the Met is already overstretched.
“There’s no guarantees on where the money is coming from.”
The spiralling cost to protect the couple and their nine-month-old son Archie has prompted senior police officers to draft emergency plans to double the protection team.
A spokesman for Harry said: “We do not comment on security matters.”