Duke of Sussex admits their South African dream was cut short
Harry and Meghan may now be firmly settled in Montecito, California, but their path could have led somewhere very different. In his memoir Spare, Harry reveals that the couple once seriously considered moving to South Africa.
Reflecting on that period, Harry describes how he and Meghan longed for a life beyond the constant glare of the British press. They imagined a future where they could split their time abroad, still serving the Crown while enjoying a degree of freedom. Even Queen Elizabeth II, he wrote, supported the idea.
“Brief as it was, that taste of freedom had got us thinking,” Harry recalled. “What if life could be like that all the time? What if we could spend at least part of each year somewhere far away, still doing work for the Queen, but beyond the reach of the press? Free.”
At one point, the couple mapped out a plan to live between Cape Town and the UK. The arrangement would have allowed Harry to continue his conservation work while giving the pair distance from royal tensions. The late Queen reportedly gave her blessing, and Harry said King Charles asked him to formalise the proposal.
But once news of the plan leaked, the idea fell apart. By the end of 2019, Harry was disillusioned. When his father again asked for the proposal in writing, he noted bitterly that their first attempt had already been “leaked and scuppered.”
Africa has always held deep significance for the Duke and Duchess. Just two dates into their relationship in 2016, Harry took Meghan to Botswana, where they camped under the stars. They returned the following year for a three-week holiday, and Harry even chose a diamond from Botswana for Meghan’s engagement ring.
For Harry, the continent has long been a place of healing. After the death of his mother, Princess Diana, it was on safari in Africa with his father and brother that he first found some measure of peace.
