Nearly half of Canadians don’t support the British monarchy, but they’re still footing Will and Kate’s travel expenses

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just got denied a high five by Prince George. Perhaps that’s because the tiny royal can’t respect a world leader who funds his nappy changes

Will and Kate's last visit cost the Canadian tax payer $1.2 million (AP)

In case you missed it, Will, Kate and the two royal toddlers are currently on an eight day tour of British Columbia and Yukon, Canada.

According to Kensington Palace, “Along the way, they will meet as many Canadians as possible.” A laudable ambition, considering that one of their stops, Bella Bella (B.C) has a population of less than 2,000. It’s also ironic considering that, to avoid any unpleasant encounters with less desirable Canadians, vast sums of money will be spent on an extensive security detail.

But the question is, just who's picking up the tab for this tour?

Public places will be shut down, extra training given to personnel, and that's to say nothing of hotels, gifts and the expenses of 'Team Kate': an organisational tsunami of stylists and supernannies that follows the Duchess of Cambridge wherever she goes.

Apparently, the tour’s costs will be worked out between the federal Canadian government, and those of British Columbia and Yukon.

The Canadian Taxpayer Federation’s director Aaron Wudrick says tour costs are part of what Canadians “sign up for”, as long as they support the monarchy. That would also be a fairer statement if the Canadian population were actually consulted beforehand. An Ipsos Mori poll revealed that a 45 per cent of Canadians believe they should sever ties with the British monarchy.

Wudrick also says that transparency to taxpayers on the royal tour’s cost is key. Again, ironic, considering that the final costs are only made public once the Royal Tour is over. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police doesn’t release any information about how much it will cost to keep the royal family alive while in Canada, apparently for ‘security reasons’.

But when Will and Kate were last in Canada on their first official foreign trip as newlyweds in 2011, the tour cost an estimated $1.2 million. Strange to think that because of their relationship with Britain, Canada is expected to pick up the tab for the royal gap yah? The clue is in the name – British Columbia. Colonialist hangovers are the worst.

And what about the costs to us back home? The last report in 2015 declared that the monarchy cost the UK around £35.7million for that year – and annual expenditure was said to have risen 11 per cent over the previous five years, with a 21 per cent increase in travel costs as more trips are undertaken by the younger royals.

And what of the much-touted 'benefits' of this sort of royal jet setting? People claim that they foster good diplomatic ties, and countries develop good working relationships - which would be a stronger argument if the Cambridges were actually heads of state. This 'diplomatic visit' won't bear fruit for almost an entire generation, while we wait for future King Charles to come out of his treehouse and ascend the throne.

Nevertheless, it is true to say that the tour could have a lasting positive cultural impact. The family are planning to visit the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia, who support some of the 30,000 who fled the war in Syria last year. That's a powerful statement to the watching world media.

Many of their other engagements include charities which deal with previously stigmatised social issues, and with the royal seal of approval, donations and publicity could sky rocket. A series of events will also take place with members of Canada's First Nations communities, at a time when the world is slowly starting to take notice of their plight.

So despite the profligate and almost outrageous expenditure, there are profits that can be measured in more than just money, and the tour could have benefits for generations to come. But let's try and keep private jets to a minimum.

And perhaps making the estimated costs public before the tour begins would be a good statement to make. As Trump is finding out at the moment, shadiness over finances does you no favours down the line.