Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan considered moving to New Zealand

File photo: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meets actors in costume during a visit to Courtenay Creative in Wellington, New Zealand in 2018. Picture: AP

File photo: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meets actors in costume during a visit to Courtenay Creative in Wellington, New Zealand in 2018. Picture: AP

Published Aug 5, 2021

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Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan considered moving to New Zealand.

The couple stepped down as senior members of the British Royal Family last year and moved to Meghan's native California but New Zealand's governor-general Dame Patsy Reddy revealed the couple were thinking about a different move back in 2018.

The couple made the comments when they visited New Zealand at the end of a 16-day royal tour of the South Pacific in 2018, where Reddy said they appeared tired.

Dame Patsy said: "I remember they'd just been down to the Abel Tasman National Park when we sat down and had a drink, and they said that they could imagine living in a place like this and wondered whether we thought it would be theoretically possible. Even possible for them to have a place in New Zealand.

"Of course, we said, 'Sure. It would be fine'. There are lots of opportunities to live in New Zealand, but that would be something that they'd have to explore.

"They were looking at how they might raise their family. And obviously they've made some decisions since."

Harry, 36, and Meghan, 40, have son Archie, two, and they welcomed daughter Lilibet Diana two months ago and Reddy said they seemed impressed with the access to outdoor activities in New Zealand.

She added: "I thought they were a lovely couple and I hope they've got a great future where they are."

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