Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are back in the news after a hiatus from public appearances brought by the birth and christening of their firstborn, Archie Harrison. Recent reports have claimed that the couple may have plans of moving outside of the country, bringing along Master Archie with them in the process. This has been confirmed by the royal family after announcing that the two will be going to Africa in autumn to take on some duties.
Buckingham Makes An Announcement
Last June, Buckingham Palace announced that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will take an “official” trip to Southern Africa this autumn on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This is a perfect assignment for the royal couple as Africa has always held a special place in their hearts. Harry had once taken Meghan to Africa, and he was very vocal about how special the experience was.
“I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana and we camped out with each other under the stars,” Harry said last year. “She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic, so then we were really by ourselves, which I think was crucial to me to make sure we had a chance to get to know each other.”
So Is The Couple Moving?
Harry has been vocal about the beauty of Africa, with reports even pointing to him discussing with Meghan about his wish to settle there. A recent report by Life & Style takes this further, actually saying that the trip to Africa this fall may actually last longer than expected and might be the first step to the royal couple’s breaking away from the rest of the royal family.
The gossip tabloid claims that Meghan is behind the alleged Africa migration, stating that the actress “can’t face being stuck in the U.K. for much longer.” She allegedly issued an ultimatum to Prince Harry, making him choose between keeping her or his family. This of course did not take too much “arm twisting,” and Harry agreed to make the autumn Africa visit a “longer stay than anyone imagined.”
Gossip Cop debunks the report, however, citing how the royal couple has just refurbished the Windsor Castle grounds, pointing at plans of returning to their home. Furthermore, British High Commissioner to South Africa Nigel Casey had announced that the couple’s visit will be a “much shorter visit” than the previous one and that it will be “for a matter of days and not months.” This points to the fact that a prolonged stay is unlikely and that Prince Harry’s breakaway from the royal family is ultimately unthinkable.
But What Could A Move Mean For The Royal Family?
Reports in April speculated how Harry and Meghan’s visit to Africa might actually work. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be preparing for the upcoming working sabbatical in Africa. It is speculated that Harry and Meghan’s visit there will result to a “bespoke role” being offered for the two. The role being devised by the royal family's courtiers might ground them in Africa for almost two to three years, but the specifics will have to wait until 2020 for it to fully come to fruition.
The role will definitely be diplomatic, aiming to “maintain international trade relationships,” especially amid the Brexit situation. This also provides Harry a more important role outside of the throne as he will be something more than just simply being the sixth in line to ascending the crown.
This could also mean that Archie will be the first baby royal to be raised outside of the U.K., which could be good for the image of the royal family in the long run, as pointed out by Chairman of Reputation Management Consultants Eric Schiffer.
“Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are boldly redefining the meaning of royal in the 21st century,” Schiffer explained. “Archie could become the first royal baby raised outside of the UK, upsetting its citizens and risking separating Meghan, Harry, and Archie from the royal family and ratcheting up tension.”
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