Prince Harry + Meghan say they don’t plan to ask U.S. for help with security costs

The U.S.-Canada border is closed so perhaps it is a good thing that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have already moved back to the United States. The move made the news again Sunday when President Trump tweeted that he would not be offering security to the couple (who say they have not asked for it and have privately funded security).

Late last week People reported the couple, along with baby Archie, left the British Columbia home they had been inhabiting on Canada’s west coast and recently relocated back to Markle’s home state of California.

The news came the same day as Markle’s first post-royalty gig was announced (she’s the narrator of the new Disney+ documentary, Elephants, which starts streaming on April 3) and just weeks before the Government of Canada’s planned deadline to stop providing security to the couple.

Polls suggested fewer than 1 in 5 Canadians thought providing security to the couple was an appropriate use of taxpayer money and on Sunday President Trump made it clear that he agrees, and that the United States will not be offering security for the royals.

“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. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!” he tweeted.

It should be noted though that the couple say they never asked the U.S. to fund their security. On Sunday Meghan and Harry released a statement through a spokesperson, declaring: “The duke and duchess have no plans to ask the US government for security resources. Privately funded security arrangements have been made.”

President Trump’s remarks about the Sussexes’ move comes at a time when the U.S. is battling the coronavirus pandemic, and some twitter critics suggest the President’s comments about the royals are a distraction from various governor’s pleas for federal aid.

However, the President did address the pandemic in a news conference Sunday, stating that federal guidelines pertaining to physical distancing will remain in place beyond Easter, as he had previously hoped. Americans are now being asked to stay home until April 30.