Here's why it makes sense for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to call Canada home

Duchess Meghan Markle returned to Canada following the shocking news that she and Prince Harry plan to “step back” from their royal duties and become financially independent.

The announcement came just a day after the couple returned to the U.K. from a six-week-long stay in British Columbia. According to Global News, the 38-year-old returned to Canada via Vancouver International Airport and transferred to a flight to Victoria.

“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment,” the couple’s statement read.

The Duchess reunited with eight-month-old son Archie, who was rumoured to have stayed with close friend Jessica Mulroney while the couple addressed their upcoming plans. The Daily Mail confirmed Prince Harry is due to follow the Duchess early next week.

While official details of where the Sussexes stand with the Queen and the Royal Family are still unclear, the couple has hopes to balance their time between the United Kingdom and North America, raise their son privately and launch an upcoming charitable entity.

Although the couple have remained tight-lipped on exactly where they will live, Canada seems like a fair compromise for the couple, particularly the West Coast. By opting to settle in a Canada, a Commonwealth country, the Sussexes would not only maintain ties to the Royal Family, but could potentially have much-needed security costs covered by the Canadian government. Security experts told Reuters that Canada would have a “legal obligation” to protect the couple, given their royal status.

Vancouver seems like a particularly good fit for the Sussexes were they to make Canada their part-time home. During their visit to Canada during the holidays, the Sussexes managed to avoid paparazzi and keep a low profile, something that might prove impossible if they lived in Toronto.

Although many believe it would be natural for Markle and her family to return to her adopted city of Toronto and be close to her best pal Jessica Mulroney, it makes more sense for the Sussexes to make western Canada their home. Aside from being the perfect fit for the nature-loving couple, Vancouver Island is a short plane ride for Markle’s mother Doria Ragland to visit from California.

While the future for the Sussexes is unknown, many Canadians have said they would be more than willing to put Prince Harry to work.

In a poll conducted before the couple announced their split from the Royal Family, more than 60 per cent of Canadians said they would support the appointment of Prince Harry to governor general of Canada. Even 47 per cent of Quebecers would support the move, despite a long history of being anti-monarchy. The move wouldn’t be unheard of for a member of the Royal Family; Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, served as the governor general from 1911 to 1916.

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