‘I have not spoken to Her Majesty,’ Trudeau says of security costs as Harry arrives in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he has yet to speak to the Queen about Prince Harry and Meghan moving to Canada — and there’s no agreement between Canada and the U.K. on how to pay for the security costs associated with protecting the high-profile couple.
British tabloid outlets have reported that Trudeau has agreed already to pay for the security. However, Trudeau said Tuesday the Canadian government has not yet brokered such a deal.
«I have not spoken to Her Majesty directly. Discussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment,» Trudeau said.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau said last week the cabinet had not yet addressed the possibility of covering security costs for Harry and Meghan.
Speaking at the federal cabinet retreat in Winnipeg, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the government has not yet conducted a security «assessment» to learn what might be required to protect the two while they’re living in Canada.
«Until that work is done, those decisions remain to be made,» Blair told reporters Sunday. «If individuals require security, that’s all determined by a very thorough assessment by our officials to determine what’s necessary and what the costs might therefore be. But again, that determination has not yet been made.»
A spokesperson for the RCMP said the national police force would not comment on the security arrangements.
Harry was reunited with his wife and his son Archie in B.C. overnight after nearly two weeks apart. Harry negotiated a separation agreement of sorts with the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William last week, an agreement that included a promise to give up most of the trappings of royal life in exchange for Buckingham Palace’s permission to live most of the time in Canada.
During a Saturday speech, Harry said it was with «great sadness» that the two were separating themselves from the Royal Family and its home base in the U.K. He said he and Meghan had «no other option» but to cut ties in the hopes of achieving a more peaceful life.
The prince, who has agreed to stop using the His Royal Highness title, flew on a commercial airline to Canada accompanied by protection officers. Photographers captured Harry leaving a WestJet aircraft on the tarmac of Victoria International Airport.
The couple have agreed to stop receiving British taxpayer funds — money allocated to the couple through the Sovereign Grant — but the question of who will pay for their security remains unresolved.
The estimated price tag for that sort of security varies widely, with some experts pegging the cost at $1.7 million a year and others suggesting it could be many times that amount.
Warnings
The paparazzi have been a source of some frustration for the couple. Meghan has been photographed almost constantly on Vancouver Island since her arrival there following the initial bombshell announcement earlier this month that she and Harry were moving to Canada. Meghan was photographed carrying baby Archie while walking two dogs in a Victoria-area park.
Sky News, a British broadcasting outlet, reported Tuesday that lawyers for the couple have issued warnings to would-be paparazzi.
Lawyers have said photographs of Meghan, published in British outlets like the Daily Mail and the Sun, were taken without her consent. The lawyers alleged the photographers have used long-range lenses to take pictures of Meghan inside her home, a $14-million mansion located just north of Victoria. Photographers have set up a camp of sorts near the driveway of the mansion.
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