00:00But there's been a bit of controversy over in Australia. Let's not forget this.
00:04Are Aussie taxpayers footing security costs for Harry and Meghan's private trip?
00:10And can you tell us more about the security route really dominating those headlines down under?
00:16You're absolutely right. There has been a lot of chat about who is actually funding the bill for this trip.
00:22So we have to reiterate that Harry and Meghan are private citizens, even though they are the Duke and Duchess
00:27of Sussex.
00:28This isn't a royalty. It's privately funded. So they are funding this themselves, whether that's, you know, whatever they're wearing,
00:35how they've travelled.
00:37Everything is funded by them. Now, when it comes to taxpayers, I think where the uproar has come from is
00:45that there will be additional security that will be provided by a couple of the police forces in the area.
00:51And of course, if you have a police force that's providing security or extra security, then that will be funded
00:59by the taxpayer.
01:00But this is something that the police force in those areas would have done anyway, because if you have a
01:06high profile person who's going to be going to a hospital, who's going to be moving around, they would make
01:12sure that there would be extra police in that place.
01:14That is what you pay for as a taxpayer. So I think it's kind of convoluted and kind of a
01:21bit of I think people want to have a problem when it comes to Harry and Meghan, right?
01:27And so this is where this row has come from. You have this petition that's been started.
01:32Apparently, four to five thousand people have signed that petition asking that taxpayers not pay for this trip.
01:39And I think, you know, the taxpayers shouldn't be paying for this trip.
01:43And rightly so, Harry and Meghan are funding it themselves.
01:46And of course, the police, where they feel necessary, will provide extra security.
01:51Now, I think this also sort of reignites the conversation around Prince Harry's security and why people, you know, kind
01:58of really have zoned in and focused on on that particular issue.
02:03You know, he wanted here in the UK, his security to be to be provided by RABIC, not on a
02:10case by case basis, on a more permanent basis, something which is still being decided.
02:15And I think a lot of people are kind of seeing that a sort of mirror with that, with what's
02:20happening in Australia, with the police force, quite rightly, doing their job and providing extra security where it will be
02:27needed.
02:28And let's remember that's not just for Harry and Meghan. That's for the general public as well.
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