Canadians opposed to paying for Sussexes’ security, survey shows

More than three quarters of Canadians feel their country should not foot the security bill for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a new survey suggests.

A total of 77% of respondents said taxpayers should not have to pay the cost of protecting the Sussexes as they are not in Canada representing the Queen, according to the survey of 1,003 Canadians conducted for television network CTV.

The strongest no votes were recorded in the east of the country, in Quebec, Ontario and along the Atlantic coast, CTV reported.

Nineteen percent of respondents said they would approve of Canada paying the costs as the couple split their time between Canada and the UK, while 4% said they were unsure.

It remains unclear what level of security Harry and Meghan will receive in Canada, and who will pay for it.

Meanwhile, 40% of respondents unreservedly supported Canada maintaining its ties with the royal family under Canada's status as a constitutional monarchy.

Another 28% "somewhat" supported that situation, while 20% were opposed.

More than two-thirds of respondents felt Canadians would respect the Sussexes' privacy more than Britons would, 23% said there would be no difference between the two nations, while 4% said Canadians would be less respectful.

Similarly, 31% said the couple would face substantially less media scrutiny in Canada, with 40% expecting "somewhat less" attention from the press.

This result may clash somewhat with reality, with lawyers for Harry and Meghan having already issued warnings to the paparazzi about respecting Harry and Meghan's privacy.