Harry and Meghan to step down as senior royals

[brihard]

There's a net worth of $30 million between them both. Pretty sure they can pay for their own security.

Given the particular threat that is ever-present to members of the Royal Family, they don't really have the choice of living a normal life. He's cursed by birth with that notoriety, and with that ever present need for at least some protection. It's properly a policing function. There's also an element of protecting whichever of the public might happen to be knowingly or unknowingly in his vicinity at any particular time. In the grand scheme of the RCMP's budget, these costs are pretty small. It would be reasonable for costs to be shared with the monarchy to some extent though.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Given the particular threat that is ever-present to members of the Royal Family, they don't really have the choice of living a normal life. He's cursed by birth with that notoriety, and with that ever present need for at least some protection. It's properly a policing function. There's also an element of protecting whichever of the public might happen to be knowingly or unknowingly in his vicinity at any particular time. In the grand scheme of the RCMP's budget, these costs are pretty small. It would be reasonable for costs to be shared with the monarchy to some extent though.

I know in the greater scheme of things it's probably chump change but the optics of Canadian tax payers footing the bill for this couples perminant police protection? When they're deciding to move here on their own? Can see it being a hard sell if that's the route they take.

What kind of man power would we be looking at to cover off a couple? 4 officers working in shifts? 8?

Where ever the end up will be a dogs breakfast with media, Canadian and I bet British.

 

[brihard]

I know in the greater scheme of things it's probably chump change but the optics of Canadian tax payers footing the bill for this couples perminant police protection? When they're deciding to move here on their own? Can see it being a hard sell if that's the route they take.

What kind of man power would we be looking at to cover off a couple? 4 officers working in shifts? 8?

Where ever the end up will be a dogs breakfast with media, Canadian and I bet British.

I won't speak to the number of officers it would take; too close to OPSEC for my comfort. It wouldn't be cheap and I'm not pretending it is. Annual costs of a couple mil I think is safe to say.

I get the optics of it, and yeah it sucks. I don't really think it can be helped. Like I said, not his fault he happens to be the grandson of the head of state, and a part of a family that is permanently at significant risk. Ultimately it doesn't really need to be 'sold' to anyone; it just gets done out of whatever budget is appropriate and people can deal with it. There'd be a little bit of noise from a few advocacy groups like the CTF, and then people would move on to the next bit of media nonsense.

I would be surprised if some cost were not recouped from the Royal Family.

 

[mariomike]

Cost of protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been pegged at $1.7 million a year
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bill-morneau-security-costs-harry-meghan-1.5424988

 

[gryphonv]

Yeah like it or not, we are a commonwealth country. No matter how we feel about it, it is our Duty to ensure members of the Royal Family are protected while on our soil. Even if they are here in an unofficial capacity.

One of my biggest issues with our politics is we nickle and dime everything. At the end of the day, 2 mil is a rounding error for the budget.

But news will make this out to be bigger than it is.

I don't blame them for wanting out, the media in the UK is ruthless and crosses many lines. At least we are a bit more respectable in Canada.

 

[brihard]

Brain fart on my part; RCMP would of course only be responsible while they're on our soil. That would simultaneously ease some things, but also introduce additional complexity in scheduling full time VIP trained cops on an intermittent basis in an area where there's typically not much full time demand for VIP security, assuming they lived in BC.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Yeah like it or not, we are a commonwealth country. No matter how we feel about it, it is our Duty to ensure members of the Royal Family are protected while on our soil. Even if they are here in an unofficial capacity.

One of my biggest issues with our politics is we nickle and dime everything. At the end of the day, 2 mil is a rounding error for the budget.

But news will make this out to be bigger than it is.

I don't blame them for wanting out, the media in the UK is ruthless and crosses many lines. At least we are a bit more respectable in Canada.

We Canadians are by far the most cheapest SOB’s that I’ve ever met in the world.

 

[mariomike]

We Canadians are by far the most cheapest SOB’s that I’ve ever met in the world.

At this point, it’s unknown just how much security would be required to protect the royal couple and their child, but it would be defined by a threat assessment, said Joe Balz, ex-RCMP officer and president of GloProSec Preventative Services.

“There’s always going to be the odd idiot who causes some type of problem,” Balz said. He added that they would be safer in Canada than in the U.S., where gun laws are much less strict.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6393526/meghan-markle-prince-harry-canada-taxpayer-cost/

 

[FSTO]

We Canadians are by far the most cheapest SOB’s that I’ve ever met in the world.

We hand wring about every dollar spent and our chicanery usually makes everything we do cost much more than it has to be.

 

[mariomike]

We hand wring about every dollar spent and our chicanery usually makes everything we do cost much more than it has to be.

Spencer Fernando ( don't know who he is, but see him quoted on here from time to time ) had this to say,

Harry & Meghan Should Pay For Their Own Security In Canada
https://www.spencerfernando.com/2020/01/13/harry-meghan-should-pay-for-their-own-security-in-canada/
Harry & Meghan must pay for their own security, and not one cent of Canadian taxpayer dollars should be spent on them.

 

[Kirkhill]

The Swede's have blazed a trail that the Windsor's might want to consider

https://www.thelocal.se/20200113/could-the-british-royals-learn-anything-from-swedens-royal-family

the Swedish royal family underwent big changes of its own earlier this year.

This was a more controlled change, as the king removed five of his grandchildren from the Royal House in a move said to have been discussed among the family over a period of several years.

King Carl XVI Gustaf made the announcement that the two sons of his own son Prince Carl Philip, and the three children of Princess Madeleine would no longer perform the official duties of senior royals.

The five remained part of the royal family, a term used to refer to all the extended family of Sweden's reigning monarch, but will no longer be referred to as Royal Highness.

And none of them will benefit in the future from the income paid to members of the Royal House and funded by taxpayers, which is in return to performing official royal duties.

....

The UK's Prince Harry might find himself relating to Princess Madeleine's family in particular, for whom the change might well mean a long-term move to the US.

The princess currently lives in the US with her husband, a British-American financier who refused a royal title (and Swedish citizenship) upon his marriage, and the changed roles for their grandchildren make it easier for the family to stay in North America.

Princess Madeleine took to Instagram, the social media platform also favoured by the Sussexes, to share her positive reaction to the announcement about her family. "I believe it is good that our children will now have a greater opportunity in the future to form their own lives as private individuals," she wrote.

I wonder about the calibre of the Swedish King.  He seems to be managing change effectively.

 

[brihard]

I wonder about the calibre of the Swedish King.

84mm, I believe.

 

[The Bread Guy]

84mm, I believe.

 

[Dale Denton]

I'll preface this by saying i'm no Republican, if anything i'm more of an monarchist.

This isn't really anything to do about money... Queen costs us $40Mil/yr (2009 figure) comparatively, and she doesn't even live here (or visit anymore).

Make them the King/Queen of Canada - Canadianize them. Boot the GG, all Lt.Generals. Give them the existing infrastructure/costs/salary meant for the GG. Strong connection to the Queen/Windor family, with the distance from the racist UK press and their scrutiny they hate. People love them over here already, would be a good face for us internationally.

 

[Remius]

I'll preface this by saying i'm no Republican, if anything i'm more of an monarchist.

This isn't really anything to do about money... Queen costs us $40Mil/yr (2009 figure) comparatively, and she doesn't even live here (or visit anymore).

Make them the King/Queen of Canada - Canadianize them. Boot the GG, all Lt.Generals. Give them the existing infrastructure/costs/salary meant for the GG. Strong connection to the Queen/Windor family, with the distance from the racist UK press and their scrutiny they hate. People love them over here already, would be a good face for us internationally.

Not that easy or even possible.  The constitutional mess that would create because some people are infatuated with a celebrity royal couple is not worth it nor is it required.  Nothing is stopping them from being appointed GG if the PM is so inclined to do so but as I've mentioned these two want to go their own way.  Being GG of Canada does not further that goal for them. 

I have no issues with them moving part time to Canada.  I hope they do good things.  But in the end they are just going to become influential socialites lending their names to good causes. 

If we want to move to a truly Canadian Head of state why bother canadianizing two non Canadians and why not just pick/chose/vote for an actual Canadian?

 

[tomahawk6]

The Duchess wanted to move to the US as long as Trumpp isn't President. Maybe she can do that in 2024.

 

[mariomike]

The Duchess wanted to move to the US as long as Trumpp isn't President.

She wouldn't be the only US citizen wanting to live in Canada after election night. 
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/canadas-immigration-web-site-crashed-after-2016-election/

Maybe she can do that in 2024.

He "jokes" about staying on longer than two terms.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-jokes-he-wont-leave-presidency-after-8-years-its-not-bad-idea-1476178

 

[tomahawk6]

I recall after his election a number of Hollywood celebs vowed to move to Canada but I don't think any did much to my chagrin. I got through 8 years of Obama so they should too.

 

[mariomike]

I recall after his election a number of Hollywood celebs vowed to move to Canada but I don't think any did much to my chagrin.

Just wanting to move to Canada isn't enough to get a visa.

I got through 8 years of Obama so they should too.

Going back to when he was pushing Birtherism, and even now in 2020, I'm not sure the current occupant of the White House has gotten over President Obama yet.

Edit spelling.

 

[Remius]

Meh, nothing new about Americans threatening to move North...

This article back in 2012 explains a bit of it.  although at that time it was more republican supporters worried about an Obama re-election.

https://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/politics/us-election-bluster/index.html

Funny stuff every four years. 

Edit to add link