Prince Harry, Meghan Markle given wake-up call by Canada newspaper

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex get a rude awakening that undermines the assumption they’ll get a warm reception in Canada.

Meghan and Harry may not be as welcome in Canada as they believed. Picture: Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been told by Canada’s biggest national newspaper that they are not welcome there as members of the royal family.

In an editorial that undermines the assumption that the couple would be welcome wherever they chose to live, The Globe and Mail announced that the Canadian government should tell the couple “no”.

Arguing that Canada was not a “halfway house” for any royal looking for a life outside Britain, it said: “You are welcome to visit, but so long as you are senior royals, Canada cannot allow you to come to stay.”

A constitutional expert said that Canada’s supreme court could be asked to rule on whether it was lawful to allow the couple to live in the country.

Michael Behiels, an emeritus professor of political and constitutional history at Ottawa University and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, said: “There is no constitutional role of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

“They can visit Canada on behalf of the Queen but they can’t take on any other royal family responsibilities or live in Canada permanently or part-time. I hope that [the] prime minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet fully respect the nature and scope of Canada’s Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1982.

“If they fail to do so this matter will end up in the Supreme Court of Canada for adjudication.”

The newspaper, which is monarchist, said: “If they were ordinary private citizens, plain old Harry and Meghan from Sussex, they would be welcome. But this country’s unique monarchy, and its delicate yet essential place in our constitutional system, means that a royal resident is not something that Canada can allow. It breaks an unspoken constitutional taboo.”

The editorial argued that this was because of a distinction between the British and Canadian Crowns.

“This isn’t about breaking up with the Crown. On the contrary, it’s about maintaining Canada’s unique and highly successful monarchy.”

Britain, it said, is behind one of the world’s great innovations, a monarchy that reigns but does not rule. “Canada took that system and improved it,” it said. “The Canadian monarchy is virtual; it neither rules nor resides. Our royals don’t live here. They reign from a distance. Close to our hearts, far from our hearths.” It added: “The Trudeau government’s response should be simple and succinct: No.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has welcomed the prospect of Harry and Meghan moving there but has concerns about who will pay for their security. Picture: AP

Although the question of which country pays for the couple’s security costs has not been settled – 73 per cent of Canadians think their country should not contribute anything towards it, according to an Angus Reid poll – the paper said it was not a question of money.

“It goes deeper than the possibility of the feds having to find a few million extra bucks,” it said. “Canadians like their monarchy, and visits by the Queen and other members of the royal family tend to produce outpourings of public enthusiasm. But while the people who embody the Crown pay visits from time to time, they don’t set up a home on the premises.”

Canada has a governor-general and provincial lieutenant-governors who represent the Crown. “They’re as close as Canada comes to having resident royalty, but they’re not royalty. Instead, they’re avatars for a virtual monarch who remains permanently ensconced across the sea,” the paper wrote.

Since the 1950s, governors-general have always been Canadians. “Princes are not shipped over here when no useful duties can be found for them on the other side of the Atlantic.”

It added: “Canada welcomes people of all faiths, nationalities and races, but if you’re a senior member of our royal family, this country cannot become your home. The government should make that clear. There can be no Earl Sussex of Rosedale and no Prince Harry of Point Grey. Canada is not a halfway house for anyone looking to get out of Britain while remaining a royal.”

Philippe Lagasse, associate professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, said: “What is at issue is the fact that the Canadian monarchy has worked best with the royals not being resident in Canada. It keeps them at a distance from Canadian affairs and avoids Canadians paying for their costs aside from royal visits. So, the issue is the benefits of a non-resident monarch and royal family.

“Having the Sussexes here will not break a [constitutional] taboo per se, but introduce resident royals that Canadians are not accustomed to.”

The Times