No security funds for royals

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Prince Harry, Meghan Duchess of Sussex during Trooping the Colour ceremony, marking the monarch's official birthday, in London.
Photo: Dutch Press Photo/WENN.com

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will have to cover the costs of their own security while living in the U.S., President Donald Trump has declared.

The couple, which will officially end its tenure as senior members of the royal family at the end of March, has reportedly left its temporary base in Vancouver Island, Canada to set up a more permanent home in the former actress' native California.

Harry and Meghan had been living under the watchful eye of British security guards and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police while in Canada, part of the Commonwealth of Nations, but in a Twitter post on Mar. 29, Trump made it clear they will receive no financial help from U.S. federal officials to pick up the security tab, which is estimated to cost millions of dollars every year.

He wrote, "I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. 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!"

The royals have yet to comment on the news.

Harry and Meghan announced their plan to step away from the royal spotlight in January, explaining they wanted to lead a more private life with their baby son, Archie.