Harry and Meghan 'renounceʼ claim to security around globe

Harry and Meghan ‘renounceʼ claim to security around globe | News | The Times                                               15/01/2020, 08)22

       Harry and Meghan ‘renounceʼ claim
       to security around globe
       January 15 2020, 12-01am,

       Sean OʼNeill, Chief Reporter | David Brown, Vancouver Island |
       George Greenwood

       The Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to split their time between Britain and Canada, but questions have been
       raised over their security costsGeoff Pugh/AFP/etty Images

       The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have dropped their public claim to be
       “internationally protected people” in a sign that security is proving one of
       the most difficult subjects in negotiations about their future.

       The couple, who want to split their time between Britain and Canada, said
       last Wednesday that they were stepping back as senior royals but
       insisted they were legally entitled to armed police protection funded by
       the taxpayer.

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Harry and Meghan ‘renounceʼ claim to security around globe | News | The Times                                               15/01/2020, 08)22

       Their new website stated: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are
       classified as internationally protected people which mandates this level
       of security.”

       The Times has discovered, however, that the claim was deleted the next
       day after questions were raised about the level of government security
       Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, could expect if they were not performing
       royal duties.

       The legal concept of internationally protected people dates from a 1973
       United Nations convention intended to protect diplomats and political
       leaders. It was introduced into British law in the 1978 Internationally
       Protected Persons Act, which afforded “special protection” to heads of
       state, people representing the head of state, prime ministers, foreign
       ministers and diplomats.

       The UK legislation also covered family members of protected people and
       made provision for a certificate to be issued declaring someone to be a
       protected person. Those protections would not automatically apply,
       however, if the person were outside the UK.

       Scotland Yard is struggling to provide the level of security required by the
       royal family when three generations are engaged in official duties. The
       cost of royal security is never disclosed but is known to have risen
       sharply in recent years.

       The Metropolitan Police has been ordered to increase the number of
       protection officers by a fifth — from 449 to 540 — but has found it
       “exceptionally difficult” to do so because of a shortage of training
       courses.

       Royal security is now heavily dependent on police overtime and bills for
       flights and hotels for officers have soared. The duke and duchessʼs
       seven-week stay in Canada over Christmas will have been hugely costly

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Harry and Meghan ‘renounceʼ claim to security around globe | News | The Times                                               15/01/2020, 08)22

       and involved the deployment of ten officers to provide round-the-clock
       cover.

       Legal experts believe that if the couple are not carrying out official duties
       they are not covered by the UN Convention on the Prevention and
       Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons.

       Jan Wouters, professor of international law at the Catholic University of
       Leuven in Belgium, said: “Harry and Meghan want to move away from
       carrying out royal duties and become purely private people. Therefore it
       is highly debatable whether they are legally entitled to the status of
       internationally protected people.

       “International protection will not continue if you withdraw into a purely
       private life. The logical conclusion is that there will have to be a bilateral
       agreement between Britain and Canada to provide for their security.”

       Canada, a Commonwealth realm, has denied reports that it is prepared to
       cover the costs of Harry and Meghanʼs security detail when they are
       there. Justin Trudeau, the prime minister, was asked on Global News
       whether taxpayers would have to pay. He replied: “Weʼre not entirely sure
       what the final decisions will be, what the dispositions are and those are
       decisions for them. I think most Canadians are very supportive of having
       royals be here, but [in terms of] how that looks and what kind of costs
       are involved, there are still lots of discussions to have.”

       James Moore, a former Canadian Conservative heritage minister, told
       CTV News: “I think the default instinct for most people right now would
       be, ‘If youʼre stepping away from your royal duties, then weʼre stepping
       away from our obligations as taxpayers to subsidise the royal family.ʼ

       “While it would be nice to have this couple here in Canada, and we want
       to maintain of course our ties to the Palace . . . I think we need to have a
       clear understanding of where theyʼre actually going to be, what the

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Harry and Meghan ‘renounceʼ claim to security around globe | News | The Times                                               15/01/2020, 08)22

       security nature would look like, and what the threats look like.”

       The anti-monarchy group Republic has estimated that security for the
       royal family, which includes round-the-clock guards for residences and
       some individuals as well as special deployments to cover visits and
       engagements, costs the British taxpayer £106 million a year.

       Decisions on who should receive protection and the level of security
       provided are made by the royalty and VIP executive committee, a
       secretive Home Office body.

       A spokeswoman for the duke and duchess said: “We donʼt comment on
       security matters.”

       Take note from the Queen in EU negotiation, Johnson told
       One of the European Unionʼs senior Brexit negotiators has called for Boris
       Johnson to show the same flexibility on trade talks as the Queen showed
       the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Bruno Waterfield writes).

       Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliamentʼs chief negotiator, urged the
       prime minister to echo the promise of an open-ended “period of
       transition” given to the Sussexes to carve out their new roles.

       “Harry and Meghan just got a ‘transitionʼ to leave without a hard deadline
       from the Queen. This might be a good inspiration for her prime minister
       on Brexit too,” he said.

       The EU is worried that Mr Johnsonʼs refusal to consider extending trade
       talks beyond a Brexit transition period will create a no-deal “cliff-edge” in
       11 months. On Monday he repeated his assertion that there would be no
       border checks between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain after Brexit
       unless trade talks with the EU failed this year.

       Michel Barnier, the EUʼs chief negotiator, contradicted Mr Johnsonʼs
       claim when speaking to MEPs yesterday. “Implementation of [withdrawal

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Harry and Meghan ‘renounceʼ claim to security around globe | News | The Times                                               15/01/2020, 08)22

       agreement] foresees checks and controls for goods entering the island of
       Ireland,” he said.

       Mr Barnier also warned the government that the EU would use the
       withdrawal treaty to enforce residency rights for European citizens and
       urged the creation of an independent monitoring authority to hear
       complaints. “We wonʼt be accepting any half measures,” he said.

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