- Question
Who should pay for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security?
On March 31 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially ceased to be senior members of the royal family. Their decision to step down from royal duties comes at a price. Their high security detail is alleged to have cost the UK taxpayer upwards of $9 million. No longer entitled to any public protection, and now based in Los Angeles, some argue the couple must foot the bill themselves. Others call this irresponsible, and say the state - wherever they live - should pay.
Harry and Meghan should pay for their own security
This position holds that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should pay for their own security. It argues that, having chosen to step away from the royal family, they cannot keep its benefits — and that as private citizens they are responsible for arranging and funding their own protection.
The state should pay
This position holds that the state should pay for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security. It argues the state has a duty to protect its citizens, that royal protection is effectively a birthright, and that the couple's risk of attack makes public funding warranted.
Both the state and the couple should contribute
This position holds that the cost of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security should be shared between the state and the couple themselves. It argues that responsibility for their protection is a shared burden, to which both parties have a duty to contribute.