<p id=”par-1_35″>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to be footing the bill for their unofficial royal tour of Australia. But the couple’s visit Down Under could still costing local taxpayers a bundle, according to reports. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-police-in-australia-providing-security-during-harry-and-meghan-s-visit”>Police in Australia providing security during Harry and Meghan’s visit</h2>
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<p id=”par-2_41″>A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has said that the pair’s trip is being funded privately. But police in New South Wales have confirmed that they will be providing security during Meghan and Harry’s time in the country. </p>
<p id=”par-3_35″>“The New South Wales Police Force will conduct an operation to ensure public safety is maintained during the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” an NSW force spokesperson told the <a href=”https://www.smh.com.au/national/taxpayers-to-bear-policing-costs-during-harry-and-meghan-s-australia-tour-20260410-p5zmtr.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Sydney Morning Herald</a>. </p>
<p id=”par-4_25″>“The operation will require some additional security measures throughout their stay in New South Wales, while minimising any disruption to the community,” the statement continued. </p>
<p id=”par-5_32″>While the costs of police for private events that require security are sometimes covered by event organizers, that’s not the case for Harry and Meghan’s visit. Instead, police will shoulder the expenses.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-s-2018-australia-trip-cost-taxpayers-more-than-400-000″>Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 Australia trip cost taxpayers more than $400,000</h2>
<p id=”par-6_43″>When Harry and Meghan visited Australia as newlyweds in 2018, they were working royals. They received 24-hour police protection from the U.K. with additional assistance from Australian police and traveled with a police motorcade. The cost to Australian taxpayers was more than $400,000.</p>
<p id=”par-7_41″>Some outraged Australian citizens have started a <a href=”http://change.org” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Change.org</a> petition to object to the use of taxpayer money for Harry and Meghan’s current visit, saying the security expenses “directly contradict” claims that the trip is privately funded. It’s attracted about 47,000 signatures. </p>
<p id=”par-8_24″>Exactly how much the Sussexes security will cost isn’t clear. But security expert Tony Loughran warned <a href=”https://7news.com.au/sunrise/security-expert-says-harry-and-meghans-australia-visit-could-cost-taxpayers-hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars-c-22137054″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>7News</a> that the pair’s needs could be significant.</p>
<p id=”par-9_18″>“[Harry is] inevitably going to bring his team over … they’ll dovetail with private security here,” he said.</p>
<p id=”par-10_40″>“But then you’ve got the outer layer, which is the actual police, then where they’re going to come in and look at cordons. They’ll look at private venues themselves, where they might need a bit of additional support,” Loughran continued. </p>
<p id=”par-11_41″>Harry’s personal security will be in charge of keeping him safe. But police will likely be needed for perimeter security, route management, and crowd control. Depending on the scale of the operation, officers could be pulled away from their “normal duties.”</p>
<p id=”par-12_62″>Harry and Meghan’s arrival in Australia on April 14 offered a look at how they’ll be handling their security on the trip. The pair took a economy class commercial flight on Qantas from the U.S. But once they arrived in Australia, they got special treatment, according to <a href=”https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/895408/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-touch-down-in-australia-on-economy-flight-ahead-of-4-day-tour/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Hello!</a>, which reported that they were “swiftly escorted from the tarmac by a private convoy.” </p>
<p id=”par-13_11″><em>For more news and exclusive interviews, follow </em><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/showbizcheatsheet/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”><em>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram</em></a><em>.</em></p>