Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move to Africa could cost £1 MILLION with tax payers paying for travel, security and staff
The costs will cover extra security medical costs, insurance, travel as well as accommodation
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s move could reach over £1 million in travel, security costs and paying for staff.
The Sun revealed on Sunday that the royal parents-to-be are in talks to move to South Africa for four months a year in a bombshell that has stunned royal watchers.
The country is top of a shortlist of African nations where they are expected to create a home from as early as next year. Another Commonwealth state, Botswana, is a close second.
And now concerns have been raised over the cost to the taxpayer, as keeping the couple and their new baby safe overseas will incur an extra cost on the royal protection budget of the Metropolitan Police.
The annual cost of the SO14 unit who protect the Royal Family has been estimated at around £130million according to the Mail.
However, experts say that the Sussex’s secondment to Africa could cost an extra £1million to pay for additional officers to be flown to Africa, medical costs, insurance, travel as well as accommodation.
Former Scotland Yard commander John O’Connor called on the Royal Family to make a contribution to the police security bill.
He said: “It will cost the Metropolitan Police an awful lot of money at a time when they are strapped for cash.
“It is also likely to cost the local police force in Africa a considerable sum of money.
“Southern Africa is not safe by any means and Islamic State have strongholds across the continent.
“It’s only right that the Royal family themselves contribute towards the security costs of protecting Harry and Meghan while they are there.”
The Met Police responded with a reminder that they “do not discuss Royal security."
The shortlist of African nations were made in a top-secret briefing document about how the couple will establish their future after the imminent birth of their first child.
But sources close to the Duchess of Sussex last night rubbished speculation that Meghan wanted to move back to the US and one day become the American president, insisting she had no political ambitions.
We have learned senior members of the Royal Family, including the Queen and Prince Charles, have come on board with the African plan.
Officials there and in Botswana have not yet been consulted because the discussions are at an early stage.
A royal source said: “Harry and Meghan are very much engaged in these plans, although the move isn’t planned until next year or 2021.
"The idea is they will spend between three and four months every year based in an African country, where they would work and then use it as a base for travel.
“South Africa and Botswana are two countries on the shortlist that are considered the most likely.”
Sources close to Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, insisted the exact scope of the role they would play in Africa had not yet been determined.
The insider explained: “A briefing paper has been prepared and shared with a very small circle.
“They’re starting to look at how the next couple of years of their lives are going to be spent and looking at some long-term strategic planning. It’s all a part of a process.
“They have a vision of being ambassadors for the UK, representatives of the Commonwealth and pursuing the works and good causes they want to focus on.
“They like the idea of being able to put roots down in a country, have a home base and really get involved and engaged in the community and country. Africa is an obvious starting point for Harry because of his affinity for the continent.
“But how it is all worked out from the official side is still to be developed because these are such early-stage conversations and we are not there yet.”
Concerns within the royal household have already been expressed about who will foot the bill, with at least the security costs expected to be picked up by the government.
The source said: “Taxpayers will likely have to fund this role to the tune of many millions of pounds a year.
“They will require a massive security detail, with at least eight officers based with them permanently. It would be much more expensive than their security bill in the UK.
“But the argument will be that the costs are worth it because this will be a good thing for Brand Britain, which we need at the moment.”
Prince William is believed to be supportive of the plans now that he and Kate have split their household from the Sussexes, who are based at Buckingham Palace.
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Another royal insider revealed: “At the end of the day, there was a disagreement between the brothers over their future direction and tensions between their wives.
“But they’re in a better place than they have been over the past few months because they can just be brothers and not colleagues. They can make their own decisions now.”
In other royal news, palace officials have claimed that the royal couple are moving to Africa to stop the Duchess becoming “bigger than Diana.”
And Meghan’s makeup artist Daniel Martin has claimed that the mother-to-be watches YouTube videos for beauty inspiration.