While there had already been speculation for months that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could be planning a move outside of the UK, following their admissions they were struggling behind closed doors in the recently aired documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, the couple are reportedly more eager than ever to escape the intense media scrutiny, sources have claimed.
Speaking to People, a source has shared the couple may be looking at setting up a second “base” outside of the UK possibly in the US or Canada, explaining “it’s not possible for them to be [in the UK} like this.
“There’s more pressure now. There’s a shift that is happening.”
A source has claimed Meghan and Harry are eyeing up a move to the US or Canada with Archie. (Image: Getty)
In the documentary, which aired in New Zealand on Monday, Meghan admitted to ITV News presenter Tom Bradby that she had struggled to adapt to royal life and the intense media scrutiny and invasion of privacy saying she had “really tried” to adopt the British sensibility of a “stiff upper lip”, but says bottling it up was probably very damaging, mentally.
The couple will no doubt be thankful they’ll have the chance to get away and regroup next month when they take an extended break to travel with six-month-old Archie to the US where they’re said to be visiting Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland in Los Angeles for Thanksgiving.
“This would be Harry’s first Thanksgiving in the States,” the source adds.
“It will be nice for them to be around people that love them and have him understand her traditions too.”
WATCH: Duchess Meghan says she never thought becoming a royal would be easy. Story continues below…
While there’s no confirmation on whether the couple is definitely planning to leave the UK, it wouldn’t be surprising following the couple’s candid confessions in the documentary.
Earlier this year there was speculation the couple could be eyeing up a move to Africa, which at the time Buckingham Palace didn’t completely deny when they were approached for a comment.
“Any future plans for The Duke and Duchess are speculative at this stage. No decisions have been taken about future plans,” the palace said in a statement in April.
“The Duke will continue to fulfil his role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.”
However author and former royal correspondent Phil Dampier claims, Prince Harry’s older brother Prince William would be “devastated” if the couple decides to relocate, and he and Duchess Catherine are trying their best to avoid that being a possibility.
“It would be a disaster if Harry and Meghan quit and live abroad,” Phil tells Express.
“William and Kate would be devastated,” he says, following his earlier claims that Kate has reached out to Meghan following the documentary’s airing.
According to a royal expert William and Kate would be “devastated” if the Sussexes decided to relocate. (Image: Getty)
During the documentary, which went behind-the-scenes of the Sussexes’ recent tour of southern Africa, Harry addressed the rumours the couple were considering moving to Africa, not denying the fact the couple would love to move but said it presented challenges.
“I don’t know where we could live in Africa at the moment,” Harry told Tom Bradby.
“We’ve just come from Cape Town, that would be an amazing place for us to base ourselves – of course it would. But with all the problems that are going on there, I just don’t see how we would be able to make as much difference as we want to without the issues and the judgement of how we would be with those surroundings.”
He added, “It’s a very hard place to live when you know what’s going on but then you’re sort of slightly disconnected from it. So, the rest of our lives, our life’s work will be predominately focused on Africa, on conservation.
“There are 19 Commonwealth countries across this continent so there’s a lot of things to be done, but there’s also huge potential.”
With this in mind, could that mean relocating to the US, or the Commonwealth nation of Canada be a more plausible option? Only time will tell.
