Canadians don't want to pay for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security costs, survey shows

More than three quarters of Canadians feel their country should not foot the security bill for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a new survey suggests.

A total of 77 per cent of respondents said taxpayers should not have to pay the cost of protecting the Sussexes as they are not in Canada representing the Queen.

The duke and duchess announced last month that they were stepping back as "senior" members of the royal family and said they would split their time between the UK and North America.

Prince Harry joined Meghan in Vancouver Island at the end of last month, where the pair have begun a new life with their baby son Archie amid plans to become "financially independent".

But the logistics over who will pick up the couple's bills remains unclear, with speculation that Canadian taxpayers may cover the costs.

The survey - gathered opinions from 1,003 Canadians and conducted for television network CTV - showed that the country was less than willing to pay for Harry and Meghan's security.

The strongest no votes were recorded in the east of the country, in Quebec, Ontario and along the Atlantic coast, the broadcaster reported.

Nineteen per cent of respondents said they would approve of Canada paying the costs as the couple split their time between Canada and the UK, while 4 per cent said they were unsure.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of respondents unreservedly supported Canada maintaining its ties with the royal family under Canada's status as a constitutional monarchy.

Another 28 per cent "somewhat" supported that situation, while 20 per cent were opposed.

More than two-thirds of respondents felt Canadians would respect the Sussexes' privacy more than Britons would, 23 per cent said there would be no difference between the two nations, while 4 per cent said Canadians would be less respectful.

Similarly, 31 per cent said the couple would face substantially less media scrutiny in Canada, with 40 per cent expecting "somewhat less" attention from the press.

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