Canada paid for extra police during Harry and Meghan visit

Canada paid for a police presence while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Invictus Games, despite saying they would not use taxpayer money for the couple’s security once they stopped being working royals.

Vancouver police spent C$44,555 (£25,436) on security-related overtime during the Sussexes’ short visit to the city in February, CTV news has reported.

The 390.5 hours of police overtime was not specifically for Prince Harry and Meghan but to maintain public security near Invictus events while unrelated protests happened in the city.

The Sussexes’ personal security was paid for by private donors, a representative for the Invictus Games said.

The Duke and Duchess spent three days in Vancouver and Whistler in February, at a “one year to go” event promoting the winter games.

The Invictus Games paid $10,221 of the $44,555 security bill through cost recovery, with Canadian taxpayers left with $34,333 in overtime. The figures were revealed in a freedom of information request filed by CTV News.

“We didn’t specifically provide security for them,” a Vancouver police department spokesperson told the outlet. “But we had officers in the area they were in (in) case any issues arose due to the ongoing protests in the city.”

Protests involved rallies in support of Palestinians and Sikh independence.

Doug Maynard, director of security for Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, added: “Taxpayers did not fund the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s security during their visit last February; Their private security detail was paid by individual donations directed by the donors for that purpose.

“Public safety was ensured by Vancouver police resources in the area should issues have arisen due to protests in the city at that time.”

In 2020, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the working Royal family, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed it would no longer foot their security bill.

The couple had spent time on Vancouver Island after leaving the UK for what was initially thought to be an extended break. They later moved to California, staying in the home of Tyler Perry, the actor, before buying a family home in Montecito.

In 2021, CTV confirmed that the Sussexes’ visits to Canada had cost Canadian taxpayers more than $334,000 over a period of less than four years.

Prince Harry is currently engaged in a protracted legal dispute in the UK over his security and maintains that it is unsafe to bring his wife and children to the country of his birth.

He is now appealing to a failed bid to overturn a Home Office decision denying him the right to automatic police protection. He still receives security from specialist officers from the Met Police when he is effectively on public duty, including at family events, but is required to give the authorities 28 days’ notice of his plans.

In a television interview about tabloid phone hacking last month, the Duke said he “won’t bring my wife back to this country” over “genuine concerns” about security.

“All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they’ve read,” he said.

“And whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. “It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”