Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have received a heartbreaking update from Australia ahead of their visit.
The Montecito-based pair have faced fresh allegations that Australian taxpayers will fund some of their upcoming tour, despite their team insisting otherwise.
Representatives for the Sussexes previously denied the claims after thousands of Australians signed a petition last month calling for no public money to be spent on the upcoming tour.
Harry and Meghan’s spokesman claimed: “The trip is being privately funded so I’m not sure what this petition hopes to achieve.”
However, Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) Police have now confirmed they will provide security operations in the region for the private tour, according to Sunday Morning Herald.
“The New South Wales Police Force will conduct an operation to ensure public safety is maintained during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” a NSW force spokesman said.
“The operation will require some additional security measures during their stay in New South Wales, while minimizing any disruption to the community.”
A Victoria Police spokesman said: “Police routinely assess events and visits and will deploy resources as necessary to ensure community safety.”
The campaign “No taxpayer funding or official support for Harry & Meghan’s private visit to Australia” was launched by advocacy group Beyond Australia through the website Change.org. More than 43,000 have now signed the petition.
Upon learning of the added police presence at taxpayer expense, they wrote on their petition page: “This directly contradicts these assurances and raises serious concerns about transparency and use of public resources.
“Australians have a right to question this. How does taking photos at a publicly advertised ticketed event constitute a security threat?”
“This appears to be a narrative for the media to increase the perceived risk which is now used to justify taxpayer funded police and security.”
Harry and Meghan previously traveled Down Under in 2018 as working members of the royal family, just months after their wedding at Windsor Castle. At the time, they received 24-hour police protection from the UK, with assistance from the Australian Federal Police.
