RCMP bill for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Vancouver Island stay topped $50,000

RCMP costs for the protection of former senior Royal family members, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, topped $50,000, according to documents acquired by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The documents, obtained through an Access to Information request, highlight that policing costs for the pair’s security totalled $56,384.

This covered a portion of their stay from when they arrived on Nov. 18, 2019 and lasting up until Jan. 19, 2020.

The dollar amount is mainly the cost of overtime and logistics – things like travel, meals and incidentals – and does not include any salaries, according to the documents. The figure also doesn’t include any overtime costs that may have been incurred after January 19.

“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,” said Aaron Wudrick, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.  “Had the government not cut them off and had Meghan and Harry stayed in Canada, the bill could have easily turned into millions.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were residing in Canada with their son, Archie, after they announced plans to step down from senior duties with the Royal Family and become financially independent.

They had been spending time here on Vancouver Island and rumours circled there was a chance the duo might make the West Coast their permanent home. Sources now believe that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently living in Los Angeles.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says that more than 80,000 Canadians signed one of their petitions telling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to welcome the Royals, but not use taxpayers’ money to cover the costs of security.

The Angus Reid Institute also released results from a survey taken in January that showed 73 per cent of Canadians felt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be responsible for their own security costs.

“For months, the Trudeau government refused to even acknowledge Canadian taxpayers were on the hook for Harry and Meghan’s security costs,” Wudrick added in a press release on Monday. “Now we know the answer is yes – to the tune of at least $50,000.”

While they were visiting Vancouver Island, a media circus of international paparazzi flew in to continue trying to chase them down, even once they denounced their senior Royal status.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially transitioned out of their Royal roles on March 31.

Editorial Policies Report an Error