Petition calls for UK to stop footing Harry and Meghan's $25M security bill: 'They have made their choice'
A petition has been launched demanding that the $25.6 million (£20 million) security bill for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle does not land in the hands of British taxpayers.
The petition has received around 5,000 signatures just a day after it was set up. Harry and Meghan made headlines when they made their bombshell announcement to step down as senior members of the royal family which will officially take place towards the end of March.
The couple moved to North America in order to pursue commercial careers. The Canadian government has a legal obligation to help provide security to internationally protected people although last week they announced that they refuse to keep guarding the couple and their baby son Archie, in keeping with their status change.
The new petition has been signed by thousands of people and claims that the couple is "already multi-millionaires in their own right" and that using the public purse to fund them and their security is "undemocratic".
A message on the site reveals, "They have made their choice to step back from Royal duties, and to live abroad and travel globally to achieve financial independence."
"It is, therefore, their own responsibility to provide their own security, not the responsibility of UK taxpayers. Therefore, we the undersigned object to paying for Harry, Meghan and their son's global security costs, and to stop the UK Parliament, House of Commons and the House of Lords, from making any contribution towards them," the petition reads.
We had previously reported that Harry and Meghan could be forced to pay for the security themselves or forced to use money from the Duchy of Cornwall which is a fund that was started by Harry's father, Prince Charles.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been protecting the pair and their baby boy Archie ever since they moved to Canada in November 2019.
However, this arrangement will be coming to an end in the coming weeks. It is not clear who will be paying for the security after that.
