Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world when they announced that they will be stepping back from being senior royals. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex explained that the reason behind this decision is for them to focus on their family and charities, and also to be “financially independent.”
Whispers and speculations then revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may move to Canada. If this is the case, Emily Thornberry said that British taxpayers should still pay for the royal couple’s security because of the prince's service to the British Army.
"I think the British taxpayer should pay for the security of Harry and Meghan and their family as they do for former ministers," the politician said. "He has done great service. I just hate to think what he must be thinking now, having used his instinct to try and defend our country, now he has his much-loved wife and his baby under the type of media scrutiny they are suffering. He must be really wanting to defend them."
Emily Thornberry’s comment didn’t sit well with a lot of viewers. Many of them took to Twitter to share their frustrations with the British politician’s statement.
“We have veterans sleeping on the streets & we can’t provide a roof/food/mental health care yet we have to provide security for Harry & Megan when they CHOOSE to leave our country/Royal family... I don’t think so!!!” one wrote. “I think the taxpayer would rather pay to support all the other ex-servicemen young and old with better healthcare and support than pay for security on the other side of the world. If they want security why shouldn’t the rest of his royal family chip in they get enough,” another one commented.
Some pointed out that since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to part ways with the royal family, so they should face the consequences and pay for their own security. “Nonsense. They want to be independent so be it, pay their own security,” one suggested.
Meanwhile, LBC’s Nick Ferrari said that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wish to be “financially independent” is impossible.
“The House they have in Windsor, the cottage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have is worth around 3.5 million pounds,” he said. “We have already spent 2.4 million pounds in total and there is a bit more to spend so it will be somewhere around three million pounds. The last job Harry had was Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry, which earns £36,000 per year plus he likes private jets. How is he going to pay for it?”
