Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to leave behind their roles as senior royals
and spend part of their time living in Canada sparked an unprecedented response from the
Queen of England.
The shocking decision also prompted another world leader to address the situation: Canadian
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He told Global News:
"There are still a lot of decisions to be taken by the Royal Family, by the Sussexes
themselves as to what level of engagement they choose to have."
He said the Canadian government has not yet been involved with the details of the move
and noted that he's, quote, "not entirely sure what the final decisions will be" when
it comes to how the royals' presence will officially be handled.
He did state that the country backs Megxit.
His take?
"I think most Canadians are very supportive of having royals be here."
"I think there's a general feeling of appreciation for the Sussexes."
However, Trudeau also admitted that there is one big and expensive question that has
still not been answered and could cause a big and expensive problem.
It sounds like Canada is ready and willing to welcome Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and
their son, Archie, with open arms.
That is if one major issue can be resolved.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Global News that, quote, "there are still lots of
discussions to have" when it comes to the costs that may be involved with the royals
setting up shop in Canada.
While you might assume that Harry and Meghan can afford to pay for their own lifestyle,
there also happens to be the matter of their security to consider.
According to CTV News, Canadians could end up paying a hefty price to keep the royals
safe.
Expert Evan Solomon claims that, "There are estimates that the security could cost about
$1.7 million."
Solomon also pointed out that while the budget for the royals' security is covered by British
taxpayers while they're in the U.K., the cost is the responsibility of Canadian taxpayers
when royals make an official visit to Canada.
The big question: Would Canadian citizens be on the hook for the royals' security costs
if they're in the country more permanently?
Solomon thinks Canadians might "revolt" if that happened, but British Columbia Premier
John Horgan doesn't seem concerned.
He told Global,
"Who is going to pay for it?
I haven't given it a lot of thought and I'm sure people are working on it."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to split their time between the U.K. and Canada
has certainly stirred up plenty of debate on both sides of the pond, but when the dust
settles, the resulting situation may be a dream come true for the North American country.
According to The New York Times, Harry and Meghan deciding to become part-time Canadians
has sparked plenty of excitement, and left many people eagerly awaiting to see what their
involvement in the national conversation may hold.
Many Canadians seem to share these sentiments, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
who tweeted about the family's stay in Canada during the holidays.
He wrote:
"Prince Harry, Meghan, and Archie, we're all wishing you a quiet and blessed stay in Canada.
You're among friends, and always welcome here."
Indeed, it appears that they do feel welcomed especially given how much time they've spent
in the Great White North.
Over the 2019 holidays, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated Christmas in Canada along
with little Archie.
The family seemed to enjoy its time in British Columbia, where the duke and duchess were
able to mingle with the locals during a stroll through Vancouver Island's Horth Hill Regional
Park.
According to CTV News, a young couple was also in the park that day and stopped to take
a picture of themselves… until someone offered to take the photo for them.
"We were just taking a look at the selfies that we had snapped when a woman approached
us and asked if we wanted her to take our photo."
That woman happened to be none other than the Duchess of Sussex, who was there with
Prince Harry.
Although the couple didn't immediately recognize Meghan, they remained calm even after making
the connection.
They told CTV News:
"[Markle] handed the phone back and said, 'Happy New Year!' and we said, 'Thanks and
happy New Year!'"
And that was it.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan told Global News that residents in the province
should, pat themselves on the back for respecting Harry and Meghan's privacy during their stay.
He even offered to help the royals find work.
He said:
"I am sure I could find something for Harry to do.
And the film industry is booming in British Columbia and I'm sure Meghan could get on
to maybe Riverdale."
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