President Donald Trump says the United States would not pay for security protection for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who, according to media reports, have settled in Los Angeles.
Trump wrote on Twitter that "now they have left Canada for the US however, the US will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!"
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, stunned the royal family in early January with an announcement they would be stepping down from their roles as senior royals in order to gain freedom from the intense media scrutiny that has followed them for several years.
A spokeswoman for the couple said later: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no plans to ask the US government for security resources. Privately funded security arrangements have been made."
Britain's Sun newspaper reported last week the couple took a private flight to Los Angeles but did not say when.
Earlier this month, the United States and Canada agreed to close their border to non-essential travel at land crossings to ease the strain on health systems caused by the coronavirus.
The couple had been living for several months with their son, Archie, on Vancouver Island in Canada.
Meghan Markle was raised in the Los Angeles area and her mother, Doria, still lives there.
Walt Disney Co said last week that Meghan had narrated a nature documentary that would be released on its Disney+ streaming platform on Friday.
Last month, Canada said it would no longer provide security once the couple were no longer working members of the British royal family.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been assisting London's Metropolitan Police with security for the duke and duchess "intermittently" since November, when the couple began a six-week vacation in Canada, Reuters reported in February.
