According to campaigners, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should return the £5 million ($6.5 million) spent by British taxpayers for the expense of their wedding and private accommodations if they desire a more “peaceful” life away from the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex allegedly racked up a £5 million debt after Britons footed the price for the wedding day on May 19, 2018. Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, have already severed official links with the royal family and the enormous perks that come with it, after proclaiming their intention to “step back” from top responsibilities and become “financially independent.” Buckingham Palace has stated that Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, would no longer use their HRH titles and will not be paid by the government for royal obligations.

“As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step back from royal duties, including official military appointments. They will no longer receive public funds for royal duties,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.”

The royal couple have also declared that they will reimburse the £2.4 million in taxpayer funds used to repair Frogmore Cottage, which will now be vacant for a portion of the year.

Campaign group Republic, which advocates for a democratically elected head of state to replace the monarchy, has sought a complete refund.

“I think they made a pretty big mistake by making a lot of assumptions bout keeping titles and cottages and police protection. I think the public reaction has been pretty difficult for them,” Graham Smith, CEO of the group Republic, told The Independent.

“The bottom line is they need to decide whether they want to be pubic officials or private citizens, and they can’t have it both ways. They really ought to be abandoning their clams on any royal titles, and living their own lives at their own expense.”

He stated that it seems evident that the public will continue to cover part of their expenses while “cashing in on the official titles” granted to them by the state.

“It’s less then two years that we spent millions on their wedding….

“We spend two-and-a-half million on that house, and given then extra status with these titles,”

“Eighteen months later, they are running away and abandoning all responsibilities. I think we should be getting millions back, and they should stop spending our money as quickly as possible.”

“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in beginning to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” the couple wrote in a statement on their website, signed as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, names they will apparently keep even after giving the HRH titles this spending. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”

“I want you to hear the truth from me, as much as I can share, not as a Prince or a Duke, but as Harry, the same person many of you have watched grow up over the last 35 years, but with a clearer perspective,” Harry stated.

Prince Harry and Ms Markle, 38, have been residing at a magnificent estate on a quiet cove on North Saanich, on Canada’s Victoria Island, for the previous few months. The pair has stated that they aim to share their time between the United Kingdom and Canada, a Commonwealth country where Ms Markle lived for several years while filming the TV legal drama Suits.

“This is going to be a very difficult decade for them. The Queen is 94 in April. They face the prospect of King Charles. I think a lot of people are going to be talking about an alternative, and we’re going to be spoiled for choice of who might be head of state.”