Between the 2014/15 and 2019/20 fiscal years, Canadian taxpayers spent at least $539,575 to protect Prince Harry during his visits to Canada, according to a government document obtained by CBC News under access to information legislation. That total makes Prince Harry the most expensive internationally protected person in Canada over that five-year span, accounting for roughly 10 per cent of the $5.2 million total spent by the RCMP to provide security to more than 100 internationally protected persons.
RCMP Security Spending and the Access to Information Records
The two-page records released to CBC News followed an order from Canada’s Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard, after the RCMP fought for years to avoid revealing the names of those who had received protection. The newly revealed figure of $539,575 significantly exceeds the $334,337 initially revealed by the RCMP in 2021. According to the document, incremental expenses covered travel and overtime for police officers, though basic officer salaries were excluded from the calculations.
The accounting also details a line item of $56,405 for 2019/20 listed under the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that appears to be a duplicate entry within the RCMP’s overall $5.2 million tally. The RCMP declined to confirm or deny whether potential duplication inflated the costs attributed to Prince Harry and his wife. The spending peaked in 2017/18 at $364,859, following $105,955 in 2016/17, before tapering off to $866 in 2018/19 and $904 in 2019/20, alongside separate entries for the duchess.
Context of Visits and International Rules
Under international conventions, the RCMP is mandated to secure individuals on the internationally protected person list regardless of whether a visit is official, personal, or business-related. Simon Morgan, a former U.K. Metropolitan Police officer and founder of the Trojan Consultancy security firm, explained that this protection is tied to official roles rather than personal wealth. Morgan noted that Canadian authorities likely implemented a more robust security process for Prince Harry because he was a veteran of the Afghan war, the Queen’s grandson, and a working member of the Royal Family.
During the timeframe covered by the document, Prince Harry’s public visits included a weeklong trip to Toronto in 2017 for the Invictus Games—an athletic competition he founded—alongside a WE Day celebration and a reception for young people who received Duke of Edinburgh gold awards. He met Meghan Markle in July 2016 while she was filming the television drama Suits in Toronto. The couple became engaged in November 2017 and married in 2018. Separate RCMP expenses of $10,586 were recorded for the Duchess of Sussex in 2018/19 following a private three-day trip to Toronto.
Did You Know? The security expenses for Prince Harry far exceeded the $178,584 spent by the RCMP to protect his father, then Prince Charles, in 2017/18 during a visit to Nunavut, Ontario, and the Ottawa region.
Security Costs for Other Foreign Officials and Dignitaries
The released records outline taxpayer-funded protection for numerous high-profile figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s children and former U.S. presidents visiting for book tours or speaking engagements. U.S. ambassadors Bruce Heyman and Kelly Craft ranked second behind Prince Harry with $487,654 in security costs, followed by U.S. vice-presidents such as Joe Biden and Mike Pence at $446,333 and Israeli ambassadors at $377,897. Former U.S. presidents and their spouses accounted for $497,544 in security expenses, led by Barack and Michelle Obama at $295,411 and Bill and Hillary Clinton at $143,927.
Other notable entries include $63,586 for Ivanka Trump’s 2017/18 visit to Whistler, British Columbia, and $42,602 to protect U.S. First Lady Melania Trump during the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto. Phil Gurski, a former CSIS analyst and president of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting, asserted that intelligence assessments should dictate protection decisions to prevent attacks on foreign officials on Canadian soil. However, Gurski questioned whether individuals visiting Canada for profit should help shoulder security costs, asking why the public should pay for the privilege of visitors making money from Canadians.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the RCMP provide security for Prince Harry in Canada?
Under international conventions, the RCMP is tasked with ensuring the security of individuals designated as internationally protected persons when they visit Canada, whether their trips are official, personal, or for business.
How much did the RCMP spend on Prince Harry’s security?
According to the obtained document, the RCMP spent at least $539,575 between 2014/15 and 2019/20, an amount that includes travel and overtime expenses but excludes basic police salaries.
Were other members of the Royal Family included in the records?
The document does not include expenses for private working visits by royals such as Princess Anne or Prince Edward, though it details security costs for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Prince Charles.
How should governments balance international security obligations for visiting dignitaries with public transparency over taxpayer expenses?
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