Reports suggest that Canadian taxpayers are “furious” about having spent a lot on Prince Harry‘s security from 2014 to 2020. The amount they allegedly paid is reportedly more than protecting any other international visitor. It’s known that he’d visited the country to promote the Invictus Games and to spend time with his partner, Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry’s security reportedly costed Canada $539M
According to the latest report, Canadian taxpayers spent way more money on Prince Harry’s security for five years than on any other prominent overseas visitor. A document obtained by CBC News under Canada’s access to information law suggests that the security costs were $539,575 between 2014/15 and 2019/20. During that time, the monarch’s younger son traveled to Canada to fulfill the Invictus Games responsibilities and to meet Markle.
The outlet reported that under international conventions, the RCMP is required to provide assured security to those internationally protected individuals who come to Canada. It states that no matter the purpose of the trip, personal or professional, security for such individuals is mandatory.
“The costs outlined in the document cover incremental expenses like travel and overtime but not the basic salaries of police officers — meaning the full cost is somewhat higher,” it added. In the case of Prince Harry, while he was a working royal member, he visited Canada a lot of times while he dated his now-wife, Markle.
What significantly drew attention was that the security costs in 2021 were much lower than what the new documents show. The RCMP revealed that $334,337 was spent on Harry’s security, representing around 10% of the more than $5.2 million Canada spent protecting over 100 international visitors during that period.
However, it is to be noted that the security costs for other royal members, like Princess Anne or Prince Edward, weren’t disclosed. They also went to Canada during this period for what’s described as “private working visits.”
