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It may have only been the first day of the New Year, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have already made the year for a lucky Canadian couple.
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry kicked off 2020 with a hike on the beautiful Vancouver Island in Canada when they came across a local couple looking like they may be struggling to get the gorgeous scenery behind them into their selfie.
Always one to lend a hand, the royals offered to take one for them – so imagine the couple’s surprise when they figured out who their generous fellow-hikers were.
“We’ve been doing this hike on New Years’ Day for the past two years,” Asymina Kantorowicz, told PEOPLE after sharing her story with CTV News Vancouver Island.
She explains she and her boyfriend Iliya Pavlovic had just finished a picnic and were trying to get a selfie with the nice backdrop when a woman came up to them and offered to take their photo.
“We had noticed the group before, it was otherwise pretty secluded. They had two dogs with them and we wanted to pet one,” the 29-year-old explained.
Asymina, who is a self-confessed fan of the TV series Suits, said she didn’t realise she was in the presence of royalty until she spotted Meghan’s good friend and former Suits castmate Abigail Spencer was part of the group, before taking a closer look at who was behind the camera.
“I looked up and realised it was Meghan taking the photo. Then I looked back at the group and realised Prince Harry was there too,” she said.
“I couldn’t believe who it was. There was Meghan smiling at me, waiting to take the photo and it was just shock at that moment and disbelief.”
Of her surprise encounter with the royals, Asymina says Meghan was “super friendly” and seemed “happy and down to earth”, adding her and Harry looked incredibly loved up “like a happy newly married couple.”
While eight-month-old Archie didn’t tag along for the hike, Asymina says Meghan’s beloved beagle Guy was there, as well as the royal’s new puppy.
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry spent the first day of 2020 enjoying a picturesque hike on Vancouver Island, Canada. (Image: Getty)
Late last month it was revealed Meghan, Harry and Archie were spending the festive season on Vancouver Island in Canada, a popular spot favoured by celebrities including singer Nelly Furtado and Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall.
According to the owner of a local restaurant, the royal couple had been spotted on multiple occasions hiking and jogging in the Horth Hill region.
In late November it had been confirmed by Buckingham Palace that the couple would be taking a six-week break from royal duties and would not be joining the Queen and the rest of the royal family at Sandringham for Christmas.
They weren’t the only British royals who chose to spend the holidays overseas, however.
The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall and her family headed Down Under to ring in the New Year in Sydney, with the couple joining friends, including actress Rebel Wilson, for a New Years’ Eve party with impressive views of the iconic fireworks.
Sharing pictures to his Instagram, Zara’s husband Mike Tindall captioned some snaps of the celebrations: “Sydney isn’t a bad way to see in the new year!!!!”
It also seems the former rugby player stopped over on our shores – sharing a snap of him and former All Blacks player Jimmy Cowan in Queenstown.
This week the Tindalls are on the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions Polo Carnival, which is also helping to fundraise to support firefighters battling the devastating bushfires across the country.
