Prince Harry and Meghan Markle already have big plans for after the birth of their first child.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle already have big plans for after the birth of their first child.
A royal source tells ET that the couple plans to make a visit to Africa in the fall. According to the source, the trip "is still in the planning stages," but it will be an official tour at the request of Her Majesty’s government. Another source shared that which countries the Duke and Duchess plan to visit will be released "in due course."
It is unclear yet whether Baby Sussex will join his or her parents. The royal source notes that Africa holds a "special place in the couple's heart," and that Harry has called it a "second home." He made his first visit to the continent with his father, Prince Charles, shortly after his mother Princess Diana’s death in 1997 and started the Lesotho-based charity Sentebale to honor his late mother.
Harry also said Botswana is where he and Meghan spent the crucial early first days of their relationship during the couple's first-ever interview together after announcing their engagement.
As for the couple’s previously planned trip to the U.S., ET has learned that it is currently on hold. The couple had been scheduled to visit the U.S. this spring but the trip was cancelled due to Meghan’s pregnancy.
A source told ET last week that the couple is potentially planning to relocate to Africa for approximately two to six months after the birth of their baby, but the plans are in the "beginning stages," adding that the new "assignment" would be a way to harness their popularity in a commonwealth country.
Buckingham Palace didn't deny the reports last Sunday, stating, "Any future plans for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are speculative at this stage no decision has been taken about future roles."
Any potential move has absolutely nothing to do with any perceived rift between William and Harry, a source previously told ET, adding that William is fully supportive.
Another source close to the couple also tells ET that reports that Harry and Meghan were temporarily moving to Africa because of bad blood between he and Harry are inaccurate. While details would naturally be formalized over time, with Harry and Meghan’s role as President and Vice President respectively of the Queens Commonwealth Trust, any relocation for an extended period of time would be an opportunity for them to work in their already established humanitarian roles.
"The idea is it’s really a step beyond the traditional royal visit -- an opportunity to have some roots and time in a place so that you can focus more in depth and interact in the community as Ambassadors in the UK, in the commonwealth community and the work they care deeply about," the source said.
Meanwhile, royal baby watch is in full swing. A source recently told ET that Meghan is due "any day now," and her mother, Doria Ragland, has already arrived in London for the birth of the baby.
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