Prince Harry and Meghan Markle start new life in Canada with media spat

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan started their new life in Canada on Tuesday by launching a legal warning to media over photographs of the duchess near their seaside bolthole Following their shock exit from life as working royals Harry jetted out from Britain to join Meghan late Monday at a luxury house outside Victoria on Vancouver IslandThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have temporarily set up base at the wooded home having spent six weeks there over Christmas with their baby son Archie Their bombshell announcement on January 8 that they wished to step back from their royal duties rocked the monarchyThe couple who married in May 2018 admitted last year that they were struggling with media scrutiny and have regularly hit out at the press in statements and in the courts Their lawyers issued a legal warning after various outlets on Tuesday published photographs of a smiling Meghan out walking her dogs with ArchieIn Britain the pictures were used by The Sun and the Daily Mail newspapers Lawyers claimed the images were taken by photographers hiding in bushes and spying on the US former television actress the BBC reported They say she did not consent and accuse the photographers of harassment the BBC added while the couple were prepared to take legal actionThe lawyers claim there had been attempts to photograph inside their new home using long lenses and say paparazzi are camped outside the property Harry 35 and 38yearold Meghan are bowing out entirely from representing the monarchy in a crisis that has shaken the centuriesold institutionHarry said Sunday that they did not want to quit their royal duties but reluctantly accepted there was no other option if they wanted to cut loose from public funding and seek their own income in pursuit of more independent life Under their new arrangement the Sussexes are free to earn their own commercial income though at a greater cost than they first envisagedThey can no longer represent Harrys grandmother Queen Elizabeth II or be referred to as their royal highnesses and must repay taxpayers money spent on their UK home They will no longer receive public money though 95 per cent of their annual funding comes from his father Prince Charles via the heir to the thrones hereditary land and property estateTo what extent that will continue and who will cover their security bill currently met by the British police remains to be seen Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday denied having spoken directly with Queen Elizabeth about the security costs after British media reports that the country had offered to foot the billDiscussions continue to be ongoing and I have no updates at this moment Trudeau told a news conference Canadian media have estimated the cost of protecting the couple and their eightmonthold son Archie at about Canadian dollar 17 million USD 13 million a year Other estimates run higherBritains Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said there must be a line of delineation over who pays the security costsAsked whether British taxpayers should fund the Sussexes while they are in Canada he told Sky News television I dont have an easy answer to that The couple intends to raise their own income streams They have launched their new Sussex Royal website and trademarked the nameHowever the queens senior advisor on heraldry suggested they should not be allowed to use the royal moniker having relinquished their public dutiesI dont think its satisfactory One cannot be two things at once You either are royal or youre not Thomas Woodcock the Garter King of Arms told The Times newspaper In a role that dates back to the 15th century he is involved in making sure that royal symbols are not used illegitimately for commercial purposesWoodcock who was giving his personal opinion said the final decision would rest with the sovereign Like Britain Canada is a Commonwealth realm meaning Queen Elizabeth is the head of stateResidents walking dogs on a path near the Sussexes new home told AFP that they opposed intrusion into their new Canadian setup and were proud of the local instinct to give them spaceWe dont like it Leave them in peace said Anne Girling adding she had met Meghan jogging on a trail nearby and they wished one another good morning Sue Starkey another dog walker described the area as a really friendly community Our neighbourhood has been so respectful and giving them space she said Im really happy theyre here and I hope they can find some peaceCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates