Meghan Markle and Prince Harry U-turn: Canada paid for extra police during Sussex trip
Canada paid for a police present as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attended an event linked to the Invictus Games in February.
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Canada paid for a police present as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attended an event linked to the Invictus Games in February.
The move appears to be a U-turn from Canada, as the nation previously said it would not use taxpayer money for the couple's security after the Sussexes stepped down as working royals.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walked away from their roles in the Royal Family in 2020 and moved to Canada before settling in the US later that year.
Meghan and Harry have lived in Montecito, California for the last four years.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walked away from their roles in the Royal Family in 2020 and moved to Canada before settling in the US later that year.
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The couple travelled to Canada in February for a preview event ahead of the 2025 Invictus Games which will be held in Vancouver.
The Vancouver police force spent C$44,555 on security-related overtime during Meghan and Harry's visit to the city, according to CTV news.
The 390.5 hours of police overtime was not directly for the Sussexes but in order to maintain public security near the Invictus event while unrelated protests happened in the city.
The couple's personal security was paid for by private donors, a representative of the Invictus Games said.
The couple's personal security was paid for by private donors, a representative of the Invictus Games said.
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A freedom of information request revealed that the Invictus Games paid C$10,221 of the C$44,555 security bill through cost recovery, with Canadian taxpayers left with C$34,333 in overtime.
It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have a huge security team in Colombia during their tour of the South American nation, according to an insider.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to undertake a four-day visit to Colombia in August.
The cost of the security will be picked up by the Colombian taxpayer
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to undertake a four-day visit to Colombia in August.
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The couple accepted the invitation of the vice president of Colombian Francia Márquez to tour several cities across the nation.
Security concerns have been raised regarding the overseas tour but an insider told the Mail the couple will have a lot of security with them as they will be with the vice president.
The source said: "They will be with the vice president and she has a lot of security because there have been assassination attempts on her life.
"But people are grumbling about why the Colombian taxpayer should pick up what will be huge security costs for what is essentially a public relations exercise for the Sussexes and for a government which desperately needs to deflect away from its failures."