Queen Elizabeth II already granted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wish to divide their time between the United Kingdom and North America. Now that the royal couple is partly living in Canada, there are questions about the Sussexes' security and who will pay for it. As the Canadian people continuously rally not to shoulder their security cost, how will the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's protection detail change now that they step down as senior members of the royal family?
The Palace has yet to reveal the details of the royal couple's security arrangements. "There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security," a spokesperson said.
There is an ongoing fiasco about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's continues use of royal protection officers. As they want to be financially independent, and their security is from Metropolitan Police and funded by the British taxpayer, it may not work out right.
Since they are now living in Canada, their security can be provided by a private firm or the Canadian government itself. However, private security is said to be costly. At the same time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to confirm if the administration is willing to shoulder its cost, to which the Canadian taxpayers strongly disagree.
A former bodyguard of the royal family, Simon Morgan, who now works for a private security firm Trojan Consultancy, suggested Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could hire and pay for private security. However, it is both challenging and expensive, knowing it's hard to find a firm that has enough experience to protect members of the royal family.
"It's expensive. Protection done well is a lifestyle choice. Not many people have experience dealing with members of the royal family," he told Insider. Prince Harry and Meghan Meghan could not afford not to have security. The threat to their safety is unlikely to go away and will even remain constant.
With the continuous talk about them today, people's interest in them is at its peak. There is also a threat to political and religious terrorism, not to mention day-to-day risks on intrusion, whether from ordinary people or the media.
Monarchy expert Philippe Lagassé also told New York Times that although monarchists and celebrity watchers warmly welcome Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Canada, others could be annoyed, especially if the country ended up paying for their security. Some are also consumed by "indifference" of their stay in the country.
