Harry and Meghan might have to 'renounce royal privileges' if they move to South Africa
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's latest documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, showed the couple in a completely different light. While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex usually appear confident and happy in front of the cameras, they opened up about what life is really like behind the scenes with Meghan admitting she is struggling with the pressures of being a newlywed and new mum in the spotlight and Harry addressing the Prince William 'feud' rumours.
The documentary was compared to the explosive Panorama interview with Princess Diana in 1995, with royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter calling it 'perhaps the most insightful interview that we’ve had from a member of the royal family since [Diana's] ... which she really laid her emotions bare.'
During the documentary Harry and Meghan hinted that they may move to South Africa, with the prince telling Tom Bradby: 'I don't know where we could live in Africa at the moment. We've just come from Cape Town, that would be an amazing place for us to be able to base ourselves, of course it would.
While royal expert Victoria called it a 'lovely idea' she also claims it is unlikely for a number of reasons.
'In the documentary, Meghan talks about the grass always being greener, but there are logistics that come into play when you’re a member of the royal family,' Victoria explained to The Express.
'Some of them are a little bit more obvious, so they move to South Africa, so who pays for their security there? Yes, they’re both independently wealthy and they could support themselves there, but is the South African taxpayer suddenly paying for their security, or is the British taxpayer paying for that? Neither party are going to be particularly happy.'
She also expressed concern over the impact on the rest of the royal family, who may see the move as favouritism, adding: 'Harry and Meghan’s first responsibility is to the 16 nations for which the Queen is head of state – South Africa’s not one of them.
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'It is a Commonwealth nation, but then there are 53 total members of the Commonwealth, so then there’s accusations of favouritism if they’re spending time in South Africa.'
There have been several rumours that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to leave the UK - it was reported months ago that they could go to South Africa, but many believe they could relocate to the US, while others have speculated that they could go to Canada.
Is a move on the cards for the couple?
Only time will tell...
Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.
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