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CANADA-POLITICS-ROYALS
Majority of Canadians reject paying for Harry, Meghan’s security
MONTREAL, Feb 3, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A clear majority of Canadians feel their
country does not have to pay for security for Prince Harry and his wife
Meghan Markle, who have settled in British Columbia.
Seventy-seven percent of people surveyed by Nanos Research, for CTV,
believe the Candian taxpayer does not have to pay for the Duke and Duchess of
Sussex because they are not in Canada as representatives of the Queen.
Canada is a parliamentary monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II is the reigning
head of state.
Only 19 percent of Canadians would not object to their country assuming a
share of the security costs.
There has been no official announcement about the question of security for
Prince Harry and Meghan, or who will cover the bill, now that they have
officially left the royal family.
Canadian authorities have only indicated that discussions were taking
place.
More than two-thirds of Canadians feel the privacy of the couple and their
infant son will be better respected in Canada than it was in Britain.
But Harry and Meghan — who live in Victoria, on Vancouver Island — are
taking no chances: last month they issued a legal warning to media over
photographs of the duchess out walking her dogs with Archie, their son.
Their lawyers claimed the images were taken without Meghan’s consent, the
BBC reported, and the couple were prepared to take legal action.
Perhaps more worrying for the couple in the long run is that only 32
percent of those surveyed were strongly in favor of maintaining links with
the royal family and their country’s status as a constitutional monarchy.
Twenty-eight percent said they were only somewhat supported that option.
And 35 percent would be more or less strongly in favor of abolishing links
with the British monarchy.
The survey was conducted by telephone and online, with a sample of 1,003
Canadians and a margin of error of 3.1 percent.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1038 hrs