Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have shut down any speculation that they plan to ask the U.S. government to cover their security costs following their move to Los Angeles.
A spokesperson for the couple released a statement to Us Weekly on Sunday, March 29, just a few hours after President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. “will not pay for their security protection.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources. Privately funded security arrangements have been made,” their representative said on Sunday.
Earlier that day, Trump, 73, announced that the U.S. will not be funding Harry and Meghan’s security team in a post on Twitter. His tweet comes just three days after the royal couple left Vancouver Island, Canada, where they had been living since announcing their decision to step back from senior royal duties.
“I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom,” Trump began. “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!”
According to The Sun, Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, “have moved permanently to California” with their 10-month-old son, Archie. The prince and the Suits alum are reportedly self-quarantining in the Hollywood area, as the U.S. continues its fight against COVID-19, which has surpassed 600,000 cases worldwide and killed over 2,000 people in the U.S.