Donald Trump Says Meghan & Harry Have To Pay For Their Own Security In The U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed the country will not be paying for security for Meghan and Harry ahead of their move to North America. Making the announcement on Twitter, Trump's wrote: “I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada." He continued. "Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!”

The couple announced they would be stepping down from senior royal duties as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex earlier in the year. On their website, Harry and Meghan also said they would now become “members of the Royal Family with financial independence”. Speaking to Bustle, royal correspondent Victoria Murphy said “This is an entirely new setup and a new model, the likes of which we have never seen before.”

Senior members of the Royal Family are prohibited from earning any form of income, this is set to change when they step down. They also said they would split their between the UK and North America with their son Archie. Their stepping down will officially come into effect on March 31.

According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the couple stated: “The duke and duchess have no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources. Privately funded security arrangements have been made."

Originally the family were spending time in Canada. There, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) formed part of their royal protection unit. “As the duke and duchess are currently recognised as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as needed basis," RCMP said. But a statement from public safety last month said this would soon end. “The assistance will cease in the coming weeks, in keeping with their change in status," according to the statement from public safety.

They have now reportedly moved from Canada to Los Angeles, since the coronavirus outbreak. Harry’s father, Prince Charles has recently tested positive for Covid-19.