Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially begun their lives away from the royal family and made the move to Los Angeles. The couple’s arrival in the United States sparked a tweet from President Donald Trump, who wrote the U.S. would not be paying for the couple’s security while they live stateside. Now, reporting in The Daily Mail suggests that Prince Charles will contribute to the cost of the couple’s security.
A source told the publication that Charles had “agreed to pay a private contribution” to the couple after they left Canada in March. The source said that, while it hadn’t been communicated what the payment would go toward, it is “believed” that it will cover half of the costs for Harry and Meghan’s security. The outlet also reported that the cost of Harry’s security could be upwards of $4 million.
While Charles has agreed to make the contribution, his funding is not unlimited. The Mail suggests that he only receives around £21 million a year, or roughly $26 million.
After President Trump suggested that Harry and Meghan’s security would not be paid for by the U.S., the couple responded, saying they had never planned to ask the U.S. government for money.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources. Privately funded security arrangements have been made,” a spokesperson for the couple said .
The Daily Mail also reports that the cost of security has increased in part because the couple will have to use private guards. Harry and Meghan made the move to Los Angeles from Canada in late March, just before the border between the two countries was temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus.
This week marked the end of their time as official members of the royal family, which meant relinquishing all of their royal-adjacent properties, including their social media accounts. Before they signed off from their Sussex Royal Instagram account, the couple posted words of encouragement for their followers around the world and advice on how they could deal with the coronavirus.
It’s previously been reported that Meghan takes the threat of the virus very seriously and that she has taken extraordinary measures to ensure that her son Archie does not get infected. Reports suggest that the measures only further intensified after Charles announced last week that he had tested positive for the virus. Among the measures taken include asking members of their staff to wear masks and gloves at all times, even while they’re out running errands.
