London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Let’s Break Down Why Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Are In Canada

First off, did you know the Queen is the Queen of Canada, too?

For our first installment of this newsletter, let's tackle a burning question: Why, of all places, are Harry and Meghan peacing out to Canada?


Let’s start with the timeline of what we know.

Harry, Meghan, and their son, Archie, spent six weeks in Canada from late November to early January on an extended Christmas break following their tour of Africa. Specifically, they spent that time on Vancouver Island in southwest Canada.

And that’s where they are now. The Sussexes (Harry and Meghan are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and this is how Buckingham Palace referred to them in the statement announcing their new roles) are staying in a $13.7 million seafront home, owned by a friend of record producer David Foster, who connected the couple to the anonymous property holder (and there has been a LOT of tabloid speculation about who this mysterious owner is). For those wondering about the Sussex–Foster connection -Foster’s wife, Katharine McPhee (yes, that Katharine McPhee), went to school and did theater with Meghan in Los Angeles when they were teens.

Harry and Meghan reportedly left Archie in Canada with a nanny during their brief return to the UK earlier this month, and Meghan returned to her son soon after the couple dropped their “stepping back” bomb. Now that everything is settled, Harry is back in Canada with Meghan and Archie. (Paparazzi photos published in the Daily Mail and other UK media outlets documented his arrival.)

As the couple and the Queen have made clear, this is not a permanent move to the Great White North, but a “period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK.” They still have their home, Frogmore Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor Castle -but they’re now paying rent and will repay UK taxpayers the £2.4 million ($3.1 million) they used to refurbish the property back in 2018.


Now that we’re all caught up, you might be wondering, “Why Canada?”

In a retrospectively prophetic twist of fate, Buckingham Palace explained why weeks before the world learned that Harry and Meghan wanted out.

On Dec. 21, following tabloid speculation, the palace issued a statement confirming the family’s location in Canada. Here it is in full:

As has been reported, Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are spending private family time in Canada. The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to them both. Whilst this [statement] confirms the country they are taking their family time in, for security reasons we will not be releasing any further details and request that their privacy is respected. The Duke of Sussex has been a frequent visitor to Canada over many years, and it was also home to The Duchess for seven years before she became a member of the Royal Family. They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son.

Although I’m sure the spokesperson didn’t realize it at the time, that press release essentially gives the answer as to why the Sussexes have chosen the country as their second home. Let’s break it down.


"The decision to base themselves in Canada reflects the importance of this Commonwealth country to them both."

Harry’s grandmother isn’t just the Queen of the UK: She’s the Queen of Canada. She’s the Queen of Australia. She’s also the queen of 13 other countries -Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

She’s also the titular head of the ~Commonwealth of Nations~ which, as defined by the royal family’s official website, is “a voluntary association of 53 independent countries, almost all of which were formerly under British rule.” Unscrambling this is a bit complicated, but think of a mini United Nations. They have a secretary-general who’s in charge, they have a charter, heads of state have meetings, and they work for peace, democracy, sustainable development, poverty eradication, equality, etc. The Queen doesn’t have any real power in this organization. She’s more of a symbol of unity.

ANYWAY, the tl;dr here is that by moving to a Commonwealth country -and not just any Commonwealth of Nations country, but one that has the Queen as the head of state -Harry and Meghan aren’t completely cutting ties with the UK when they’re overseas.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×