The US Was Not the Only Country Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Considered Moving to before Megxit

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are now California locals, but the former royal couple considered living in another country. The Commonwealth nation they almost picked would have been a lovely home for them.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shook the world when they first announced that they would be stepping down from royal duties. The former royal couple was the first royals of this generation to defy the monarchy.

Although stepping back from their royal work seemed abrupt to the public, the couple had reportedly been planning their exit for a while. They even considered living in a South Pacific location a year before their departure.

Many would argue that the writing was on the wall when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they were stepping back early last year. By then, Markle had made her struggles with the British public clear in interviews.

The new mother even tearfully revealed that the British press had not bothered to ask whether she was okay in any of their interactions. It was clear that the relentless criticism of the couple had become too much to bear.

By January 2020, rumors of the couple’s exit from Britain started to spread, and they later confirmed it on their website. The palace even released a statement of support and revealed that the couple would be living between Canada and the UK.

Markle and her prince completed their official royal engagements at the end of March and flew across the pond to their first base. The pair stayed in Canada for a short term before moving to the sunnier California.

The couple first lived in Markle’s hometown of Los Angeles, but that was not the perfect pick for the public figures. Soon enough, Markle and Prince Harry purchased their first home together in Santa Barbara.

While many cannot imagine the former royal couple anywhere else but in their gorgeous Montecito garden these days, things could have been different. Recent reports reveal that the couple was considering another location before.

The former royals allegedly fell in love with the idea of New Zealand during a royal tour to the country. Their 2018 trip was the first royal visit to New Zealand since Prince William and Kate Middleton visited with Prince George in 2014.

The excitement for the royal’s arrival was high, especially because the couple had just announced their first pregnancy. Thankfully, the lovebirds appreciated their interactions with the eager New Zealanders at the time.

Governor-General Patsy Reddy, the queen’s representative in New Zealand, revealed that the couple expressed their interest in living there during their visit. She recalled the casual conversation she had with the couple back in 2018:

“...they said that they could imagine living in a place like this and wondered whether we thought it would be theoretically possible.”

Reddy also revealed that the couple had expressed that they were planning how they would raise their family. She reiterates that they were especially impressed with the country’s access to nature, which is important for children.

Clearly, the former royals’ plan to move to New Zealand did not materialize; however, the couple has the best of both worlds with their current location. The couple is close to Markle’s mother, now giving them a great support system.

The climate and access to the outdoors in California is also a major benefit for the family of four. Some reports have even revealed that the couple’s son Archie loves the space he has to run free in the new home.

Although the couple had other countries to consider as their home base, they seem to have found the perfect spot. A source even revealed that moving to the Santa Barbara home was a pivotal moment for the family to settle.