Prince Harry and Meghan considered moving to New Zealand before taking a step back

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry discussed their move to New Zealand in 2018.
• The country’s governor general told AP she raised the possibility with the couple.
• The couple have resided in California since March 2020.
• Visit the Insider home page for more stories.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have considered leaving the UK for New Zealand just five months after the Duchess joined the royal family in 2018, according to the country’s Governor General Patsy Reddy.

Reddy told The Associated Press she discussed the possibility with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during their royal tour of the country in October 2018.

“I remember they had just been at Abel Tasman National Park when we sat down and had a drink, and they said they could imagine living in a place like this and wondered if we thought it would be theoretically possible. Even possible for them to have a place in New Zealand, “Reddy, who acts as the Queen’s representative in New Zealand, told the publication.

“Of course we said of course. It would be nice. There are a lot of opportunities to live in New Zealand, but it would be something they should explore,” she added. “They were looking for how they could raise their families. And obviously they’ve made decisions since then.”

The post added that Reddy did not see it as a formal request, but rather as an informal discussion of the couple’s hopes for the future.

Markle, Harry and their son Archie left the UK for good after announcing their retirement from royal duties in January 2020. The couple took a sabbatical on Vancouver Island, Canada, before moving to California to March 2020.

They bought a house in Montecito, Calif., In July of the same year.

There had been rumors that the couple had been considering moving abroad since 2019, with some royal correspondents reporting that a sabbatical from work in Africa had been discussed.

Markle and Harry confirmed in their interview with Oprah that they had offered to step back from royal life in a Commonwealth country like New Zealand or South Africa, the Associated Press added.

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.