Prince Harry and Meghan left Canadian taxpayers with security bill of over $40,000 after stay at $18M mansion
Prince Harry and Meghan cost Canadian taxpayers more than CAD 50,000 ($36,850) after the cost of their security while they were staying at a $13 million holiday apartment on Vancouver Island was covered by the Canadian government, it was reported.
The revelation was made by an advocacy group called the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, who obtained documents relating to the Sussex's stay via an access to information request.
"Documents obtained by the federation through an access to information request show that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spent more than $50,000 on overtime and logistics costs to provide security for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry after they briefly moved to Canada," the group said in a press release.
Aaron Wudrick, the campaign group's financial director, said, "For months, the Trudeau government refused to even acknowledge Canadian taxpayers were on the hook for Harry and Meghan’s security costs. Now we know the answer is 'yes' – to the tune of at least $50,000."
MEA WorldWide previously reported that Canada had announced it would stop footing the bill for Harry and Meghan's security after they officially stepped down as senior working members of the royal family on March 31.
The RCMP had said they were protecting the couple on the request of London's Metropolitan Police as they were so-called "Internationally Protected Persons."
The documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation showed that the RCMP spent at least CAD 56,384 ($41,566) from November 18, 2019, to January 19, 2020, on the couple's security, and that the totals did not include salaries or costs incurred after that date. It also does not include salaries paid to the Mounties on duty and only shows the pay costs such as overtime, travel, meals, incidentals, and accommodations.
Wudrick said even the reported CAD 56,000 was too much. "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," he said. "Had the government not cut them off and had Meghan and Harry stayed in Canada, the bill could have easily turned into millions.”
The RCMP had previously said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's decision to move to Canada part-time had placed the government in a "unique and unprecedented set of circumstances." It was a sentiment that was echoed in an email sent by the organization's National Division commanding officer Bernadine Chapman.
"Media is on this like a hot potato ... so lots of coverage of the potential of the royals to spend half their time in Canada now, as an independent couple," she wrote. "Media spin is about the cost to Canadians. We are having a greater conversation next week on the go forward on this. This has a potential to cost us huge!"
The RCMP has insisted that its protection of the former royal couple ended in March, and refused to provide a total summary of costs for the whole visit. "For security reasons and to protect our operations, we are not releasing salary costs," they said in a statement. "Security costs for protection are covered through the existing operational budget."