AS HARRY AND MEGHAN DASH TO LA, TRUMP SAYS: I WON’T PAY FOR GUARDS
PRESIDENT Donald Trump last night said Harry and Meghan will not be subsided by the US taxpayer for their £8million security costs – telling the couple “they must pay”.
Mr Trump took to Twitter after reports emerged the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have moved to the States on a permanent basis and plan to settle in Los Angeles.
He said: “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 US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!”
The couple will cease to be fulltime royals on Wednesday, after choosing to walk away from the monarchy.
After leaving their temporary home on Canada’s Vancouver Island, they no longer benefit from taxpayer-funded Royal Canadian Mounted Police protection.
It has left them looked after by a team of up to nine highly trained British officers as they start a new life in California. Since Harry and
Meghan left the UK in November, their bill for security is estimated to be more than £3million.
The cost, paid for by the British taxpayer, includes officers’ pay, accommodation, travel and the logistics of keeping the couple and their 10-month-old son Archie safe.
The bill was increased when Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, who are currently said to be selfisolating as coronavirus spreads throughout the US, recently chose to fly back to the UK for their final royal engagements, leaving Archie on Vancouver Island.
Before Meghan and Harry moved to LA earlier this month, a poll for Good Morning Britain suggested more than 90 per cent of people believed they should foot their security bill themselves.
The spiralling cost of protecting them and Archie has prompted senior Metropolitan Police officers to draft emergency plans to double their protection team.
Specialist UK police have been asked to apply for roles which could see them rotate jobs every two months, working on both sides of the Atlantic. The Sussexes have previously spoken out about their need for protection.
After it was announced they would not be able to use the word “royal” to bolster their finances, they hit back with a statement that discussed their security.
It said: “It is agreed that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will continue to require effective security to protect them and their son.
“This is based on The Duke’s public profile by virtue of being born into The Royal Family, his military service, the Duchess’s own independent profile, and the shared threat and risk level documented specifically over the last few years.
“No further details can be shared as this is classified information for safety reasons.”
Critics say the pair should pay their own way after becoming private citizens as they seek to make millions from the private sector.
Former Home Office minister Norman Baker, author of And What Do You Do?: What The Royal Family Don’t Want You To Know, said: “They’re going to Los Angeles in order to make packets of money.
There will be waterfalls of dollars cascading their way. And they’re now private citizens. Why should we pay for them?
“We can’t have a situation in which members of the Royal Family can choose to live anywhere in the world, however dangerous, and expect us to pay.
“The dangers in LA are much more significant than in the backwoods ofWindsor.”
Last week it was announced former Suits actress Meghan had already landed her first job – the voiceover for a Disney elephant documentary. It came after Harry and Meghan met then Disney chief Bob Igor at the premiere of The Lion King last year.
Despite attending the function officially, Harry told him that Meghan was available for voiceovers and the couple were “there to pitch”.
This week the Sussexes are expected to announce details of a new non-profit organisation which will see them abandon the Royal Foundation model they set up when they wed. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.