Meghan and Harry ‘under siege’ in Canada
As they settle into a new life, the couple are turning to their circle of trust to help plan their future
6 LAST WEEK ,
a woman carried her young child as she walked her dogs through the woods. A picture of normality, it could have been anyone. But for the Duchess of Sussex, newly stripped of her HRH status, it was anything but. As she continues to be seen enjoying her new life in Vancouver, such everyday activities seem almost radical. But make no mistake: while Meghan may be taking joy in the small things as she transitions into a new routine, she is also facing unexpected challenges as she looks for solace and security while trying to establish what comes next with the help of key allies.
When images of Meghan out in public were printed in some British newspapers, lawyers spoke out on her and Harry’s behalf, threatening legal action on the grounds of privacy and consent. In the UK, an agreement between the royals and press dictates that the children of the family are off-limits, but this ‘gentleman’s pact’ is now void. ‘ They’re pretty much under siege at their house,’ says royal author Katie Nicholl. ‘ They’ve got photographers outside the property, around the property, staking out the hiking paths. It’s not a peaceful life by any means. It is ironic that they have escaped Britain but walked into a completely different kind of storm.’
The couple are refusing to hide, though. Meghan has already made her first public engagement in Canada at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, where she met with climate change group Justice For Girls. And last week the Sussexes continued to update the public on social media and promote their charitable endeavours, with one Instagram post showing Meghan’s visit to an animal shelter. Mere hours earlier, the Sussex Royal follower-count outnumbered that of the Cambridges for the first time, a landmark that happened to be reached as the Duchess of Cambridge began a whistlestop tour of the UK (see right). ‘As a united family, much care was taken to make sure everyone got their chance to have their
“big days”, where their own initiative and appearances were the only thing on the schedule,’ a source says. ‘Now that Harry and Meghan are out, this has gone out of the window.’
Instead of royal courtiers, Harry and Meghan are now working with an inner circle of trust. ‘She’s got an old network she can tap into,’ says Katie. ‘ The Mulroneys are their closest friends in Canada: they protected them in their early days of courtship, and offered them their Toronto home for space and privacy,’ she adds of Jessica Mulroney, Meghan’s best friend and unofficial maid-of-honour, who is married to Ben, son of the former Prime Minister of Canada. ‘ They know how to hide and will be their confidants. But Meghan and Harry have a friend in Justin Trudeau and his wife, too.’ Additionally, Meghan’s friend Heather Dorak, a Pilates instructor, will be helping her find focus through fitness. And Misha Nonoo – thought to be the woman who introduced Harry to Meghan – has revealed that she is heading to Toronto on a styling tour for her
eponymous fashion brand. Having recently announced her pregnancy, she is sure to be a regular visitor, with playdates with Archie firmly on the agenda.
Us-based friends also continue to show their allegiance. Last week, Serena Williams shut down a reporter who asked for a comment on Meghan’s situation. And Graz undeirastands that Amal Clooney has been in constant communication, with words of advice and the wisdom of her own experience of marrying into stardom and manoeuvring the unasked-for complications.
For now, Meghan is busying herself with practical issues – looking for a permanent base, researching schools – but she is itching to get new projects off the ground, too. ‘She has said that she wants to campaign for prison and health reform,’ says the source. ‘She also wants to set up a foundation in Archie’s name, to help underprivileged children, and has floated the idea of a performing arts initiative for children as well.’ We may also see her explore her fashion credentials further: a friend says that we can expect new collaborations between Meghan and Misha, ‘perhaps sooner than we would have expected’.
As for Harry, his first few steps are already in hand: a documentary with Oprah, the next instalment of The Invictus Games, and various commitments in the UK in the spring.
Beyond that, he has one key criterion. ‘Harry has always been very frank about his discomfort with being a subject of public scrutiny,’ says a source. ‘Meghan helped him forge this new path, but he always had one eye on the exit. The one thing that keeps him involved, that helped him focus on the work, was his mother. He wants to make her proud, and he will be choosing his projects with that in mind: he will pick programmes and found new initiatives that continue her legacy.’ That means we can expect more work in Africa, as well as further projects centred on fighting AIDS.
While Meghan and Harry’s situation is unprecedented – and unpredictable – they have made it clear that one thing, at least, is certain: they’re in this together.