ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

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 per cent of respondents said taxpayers should not have to pay the cost of protecting the Sussexes as they are not in Canada representing the Queen.

The duke and duchess announced last month that they were stepping back as "senior" members of the royal family and said they would split their time between the UK and North America.

Prince Harry joined Meghan in Vancouver Island at the end of last month, where the pair have begun a new life with their baby son Archie amid plans to become "financially independent".

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle 75 show all The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle 1/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend The Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House Samir Hussein/WireImage 2/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding in St George's Chapel PA 3/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle Getty Images 4/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation in cape Town, on day three of their tour of Africa PA 5/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 6/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Reuters 7/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embrace following the polo at Coworth Park on 7 May 2017 Rex Features 8/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace EPA 9/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 10/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet Pony Major Mark Wilkinson and regimental mascot Cruachan IV during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle Getty Images 11/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Reuters 12/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto PA 13/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 14/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto Reuters 15/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 16/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Getty Images 17/75 Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Karwai Tang/WireImage 18/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario Reuters 19/75 Meghan Markle attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada PA 20/75 Meghan Markle on the cover of Vanity Fair Peter Lindbergh exclusively for Vanity Fair 21/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Getty Images 22/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 23/75 Larking around: Harry and Meghan pull faces in footage not shown in the BBC engagement interview BBC 24/75 Meghan Markle visits Nottingham for her first official public engagement with fiancee Prince Harry Jeremy Selwyn 25/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham, to attend a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair on their first official engagement together PA 26/75 Meghan Markle arrives at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary Getty Images 27/75 The royal brothers and their partners on Christmas Day. AFP/Getty Images 28/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton PA 29/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive in Brixton, EPA 30/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 31/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 32/75 Loved up: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Cardiff Castle EPA 33/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend a street dance class during their visit to Star Hub in during their visit to Star Hub on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images 34/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit the people of Edinburgh Getty Images 35/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards PA 36/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards Getty Images 37/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images 38/75 rince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle meet a Shetland Pony as they arrive at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Frank Augstein/AP 39/75 Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 40/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with patrons at the Social Bite in Edinburgh AP 41/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 42/75 Meghan Markle arrives for a visit in Birmingham on International Women's Day PA 43/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham Splash News 44/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 45/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 46/75 The Reverend Canon David Stanton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave after attending a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images 47/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbet AFP/Getty Images 48/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London PA 49/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ride in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding PA 50/75 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel PA 51/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 52/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 53/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex head back down the Mall to Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 Getty Images 54/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex talk to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and wellbeing at South Bondi Beach on October 19, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images 55/75 Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are seen during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2018 EPA 56/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the 'Together: Our Community' Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London Getty Images 57/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Britain's Prince Harry unveil a plaque to officially open Number 7, a 'Feeding Birkenhead' citizens supermarket and community cafe, at Pyramids Shopping Centre, as part of a visit to Birkenhead, northwest England, Monday Jan. 14, 2019 AP 58/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the National theatre in central London on January 30, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 59/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Bristol Old Vic theatre, which is undergoing a multimillion-pound restoration PA 60/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reacts as they visit Bristol Old Vic theatre in Bristol, south-west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 61/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) help volunteers in the kitchen as they pack food parcels to go in the charity outreach van during a visit to One25 charity in Bristol, south west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 62/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Drapers Hall in London on February 7, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 63/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex try some food during a cooking school demonstration at Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat on the third day of their tour of Morocco PA 64/75 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, pet a horse at the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in Rabat on February 25, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 65/75 Meghan Markle wearing a short Reiss dress on International Women's Day AFP/Getty Images 66/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House, where they meet young people who demonstrate a Canadian spring tradition of making maple taffy (maple syrup cooled on snow to make sweets) on March 11, 2019 in London Getty Images 67/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave following a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA 68/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House on March 11, 2019 in London WireImage 69/75 Members of Britain's Royal family leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey AP 70/75 The Duchess of Cambridge (left) talks with the Duchess of Sussex (right) as they attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, Richard Pohle/The Times/PA 71/75 Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hold their baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Berkshire on 8 May 2019 REUTERS 72/75 Archbishop Desmond Tutu kisses the forehead of baby Archie as his mother smiles on warmly Reuters 73/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, on day two of their tour of Africa. PA 74/75 Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Jeremy Selwyn 75/75 Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex at The Fields of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey Jeremy Selwyn 1/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend The Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House Samir Hussein/WireImage 2/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss on the steps of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding in St George's Chapel PA 3/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle Getty Images 4/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex holding their son Archie during a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs Tutu at their legacy foundation in cape Town, on day three of their tour of Africa PA 5/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 6/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Reuters 7/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embrace following the polo at Coworth Park on 7 May 2017 Rex Features 8/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace EPA 9/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 10/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet Pony Major Mark Wilkinson and regimental mascot Cruachan IV during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle Getty Images 11/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Reuters 12/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto PA 13/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 14/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto Reuters 15/75 Prince Harry with girlfriend Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Getty Images 16/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square on 25 September 2017 in Toronto, Canada Getty Images 17/75 Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto Karwai Tang/WireImage 18/75 Prince Harry arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario Reuters 19/75 Meghan Markle attends the Opening Ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada PA 20/75 Meghan Markle on the cover of Vanity Fair Peter Lindbergh exclusively for Vanity Fair 21/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 Getty Images 22/75 Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle announce their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn 23/75 Larking around: Harry and Meghan pull faces in footage not shown in the BBC engagement interview BBC 24/75 Meghan Markle visits Nottingham for her first official public engagement with fiancee Prince Harry Jeremy Selwyn 25/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Nottingham Contemporary in Nottingham, to attend a Terrence Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair on their first official engagement together PA 26/75 Meghan Markle arrives at the Terrance Higgins Trust World AIDS Day charity fair at Nottingham Contemporary Getty Images 27/75 The royal brothers and their partners on Christmas Day. AFP/Getty Images 28/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle listen to a broadcast through headphones during a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton PA 29/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive in Brixton, EPA 30/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 31/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle visit Reprezent 107.3FM in Brixton Getty Images 32/75 Loved up: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit Cardiff Castle EPA 33/75 Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend a street dance class during their visit to Star Hub in during their visit to Star Hub on January 18, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Getty Images 34/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit the people of Edinburgh Getty Images 35/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards PA 36/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards Getty Images 37/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception for young people at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images 38/75 rince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle meet a Shetland Pony as they arrive at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Frank Augstein/AP 39/75 Meghan Markle during a walkabout on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle PA 40/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with patrons at the Social Bite in Edinburgh AP 41/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 42/75 Meghan Markle arrives for a visit in Birmingham on International Women's Day PA 43/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham Splash News 44/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 45/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet members of the public on a walkabout during a visit to Millennium Point in Birmingham PA 46/75 The Reverend Canon David Stanton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave after attending a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images 47/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbet AFP/Getty Images 48/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a reception with delegates from the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London PA 49/75 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ride in an Ascot Landau along the Long Walk after their wedding PA 50/75 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel PA 51/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 52/75 Harry and Meghan leaving Windsor Castle for the glamorous evening reception PA 53/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex head back down the Mall to Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 9, 2018 Getty Images 54/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex talk to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and wellbeing at South Bondi Beach on October 19, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images 55/75 Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex are seen during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia, 27 October 2018 EPA 56/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the Hubb Community Kitchen to see how funds raised by the 'Together: Our Community' Cookbook are making a difference at Al Manaar, North Kensington on November 21, 2018 in London Getty Images 57/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Britain's Prince Harry unveil a plaque to officially open Number 7, a 'Feeding Birkenhead' citizens supermarket and community cafe, at Pyramids Shopping Centre, as part of a visit to Birkenhead, northwest England, Monday Jan. 14, 2019 AP 58/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visits the National theatre in central London on January 30, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 59/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Bristol Old Vic theatre, which is undergoing a multimillion-pound restoration PA 60/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, reacts as they visit Bristol Old Vic theatre in Bristol, south-west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 61/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (R) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) help volunteers in the kitchen as they pack food parcels to go in the charity outreach van during a visit to One25 charity in Bristol, south west England on February 1, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 62/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to attend the annual Endeavour Fund Awards at Drapers Hall in London on February 7, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 63/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex try some food during a cooking school demonstration at Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat on the third day of their tour of Morocco PA 64/75 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke & Duchess of Sussex, pet a horse at the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in Rabat on February 25, 2019 AFP/Getty Images 65/75 Meghan Markle wearing a short Reiss dress on International Women's Day AFP/Getty Images 66/75 Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House, where they meet young people who demonstrate a Canadian spring tradition of making maple taffy (maple syrup cooled on snow to make sweets) on March 11, 2019 in London Getty Images 67/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave following a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA 68/75 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess Of Sussex attend a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House on March 11, 2019 in London WireImage 69/75 Members of Britain's Royal family leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey AP 70/75 The Duchess of Cambridge (left) talks with the Duchess of Sussex (right) as they attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, Richard Pohle/The Times/PA 71/75 Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex hold their baby son in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, Berkshire on 8 May 2019 REUTERS 72/75 Archbishop Desmond Tutu kisses the forehead of baby Archie as his mother smiles on warmly Reuters 73/75 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a visit to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, on day two of their tour of Africa. PA 74/75 Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Jeremy Selwyn 75/75 Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex at The Fields of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey Jeremy Selwyn

But the logistics over who will pick up the couple's bills remains unclear, with speculation that Canadian taxpayers may cover the costs.

The survey - gathered opinions from 1,003 Canadians and conducted for television network CTV - showed that the country was less than willing to pay for Harry and Meghan's security.

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

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

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

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

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

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