A deal reached by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, with Buckingham Palace helps clear the way for their planned part-time move to Canada, royal watchers said Saturday.
The palace announced that the duo will cease their duties as working royals this spring and will no longer use the titles “royal highness” or receive public funds for their work.
Keith Roy of the Monarchist League of Canada said the deal is exactly what Harry and Meghan asked for and green lights their plan to lead more private lives and split their time between Canada and the United Kingdom.
“It looks like they’re moving as expeditiously as possible in a way that’s respectful of taxpayers’ money, public sentiment and the Duke and Duchess’s desires to pursue an independent life,” he said.
“If you as a citizen or resident of Canada were being hounded and pursued by other members of the public or the press, I think you would expect that our government would provide you security so you could live as peaceful a life as possible,” he said.
He added that he does expect some of their security will be privately funded.
But royal historian Carolyn Harris said the deal might affect how their security is paid for. She noted that Harry’s cousins, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, also hold reduced royal roles.
“Beatrice and Eugenie originally had British state-funded security and that attracted a lot of criticism in the British press when they were travelling with security officers. Now their father, the Duke of York, privately pays for their security,” Harris said.
The royal statement said Buckingham Palace does not comment on the details of security arrangements and there are well-established independent processes to determine the need for publicly funded security.
Harris said it’s unlikely the details have been hammered out because it remains to be seen how much time the pair will spend in the United Kingdom, Canada and potentially the United States.
She pointed out the statement says Frogmore Cottage will remain Harry and Meghan’s family home in the United Kingdom, suggesting the couple isn’t contemplating a full-time move to Canada.
Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they wanted to spend more time in North America, and the Queen confirmed Canada as their destination, speculation has run rampant that they will buy a home in British Columbia.
Harry and Meghan vacationed on Vancouver Island over Christmas and Meghan recently visited a women’s charity in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
But Roy said Toronto was also a possibility, noting Meghan previously worked as an actress in the city on the TV show “Suits.”
He said Harry has private wealth passed down from his mother, Diana, and when the Queen dies, her wealth will pass down to his father, Prince Charles, and Charles’ wealth will pass down to his sons. Meghan also presumably has money from her acting career, he said.
Roy, who is also a real estate agent, said if they purchased a part-time residence in Vancouver they would not have to pay the city’s empty-homes tax if the house was occupied year-round by domestic staff.
Metro Vancouver also has a 20-per-cent foreign-buyers tax, which they would have to pay if they don’t pursue residency in Canada, Roy added.
He said they might not choose to obtain citizenship or permanent residency in Canada and might instead pursue working visas on the basis of their “special talents.”
“They’re both very capable people in their respective fields,” Roy said.
“Prince Harry would be an interesting addition to any company as a special talent because of his international experience and connections. He’s a man in his early 30s who has travelled the world, met with heads of state, presidents and prime ministers. He’s been a soldier and headed up the Invictus Games.”
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
