Prince Harry and Meghan’s secret plan to escape to South Africa revealed
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle once considered relocating to South Africa in hopes of escaping Britain’s intense media scrutiny, according to revelations from Harry’s memoir Spare.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex envisioned splitting their time between the U.K. and Cape Town, continuing to serve Queen Elizabeth II while living away from the pressures of royal life.
According to the Express, the late Queen reportedly supported the plan, but when Harry shared the proposal in writing with his father, now King Charles, details were leaked to the press.
Moreover, the publicity sparked a media frenzy that ultimately derailed the idea.
Though New Zealand was briefly floated as an option, Africa held personal significance for Harry, who has long considered the continent a sanctuary, as per the outlet.
Botswana, in particular, was where he sought refuge after his mother’s death and the source of the diamond in Meghan’s engagement ring.
After the collapse of their Cape Town plan, Harry and Meghan eventually moved to Montecito, California, where they are raising their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
In Spare, Harry described the abandoned relocation as a bittersweet “what if,” a vision of freedom that was never realized.