Prince Harry Arrives in Canada, Which Shrugs

50% of Canadians don't care if couple moves to their country
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 21, 2020 3:37 AM CST
Prince Harry Arrives in Canada
Britain's Prince Harry leaves the Ivy Chelsea Garden in London after a private dinner for his charity Sentebale, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.   (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP)

Prince Harry has left Britain and returned to the country that is expected to be his new home, at least part of the time. The prince landed in Vancouver, Canada, early Tuesday before flying on to Victoria on Vancouver Island, the BBC reports. His wife, Meghan, returned to Canada 10 days ago and their baby son, Archie, never left after the family's extended Christmas break in the country. The couple stunned Britain earlier this month by announcing their plans to step back as senior royals, become financially independent, and divide their time between the UK and North America. Under a deal reached with Buckingham Palace over the weekend, they will stop using their "royal highness" titles.

It's not clear where in Canada the couple plans to live, but they are widely expected to choose Victoria, where they have rented a home, Vancouver, or Toronto, where Meghan was living when she met Harry. The prince's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is Canada's head of state, but he has no official role under the country's constitution. According to an Angus Reid poll, 39% of Canadians will be pleased if Harry and Meghan move to Canada full-time, 11% would be upset, and 50% don't care either way. "The whole thing is being met with a royal shrug," Shachi Kurl, the executive director of the polling firm, tells the New York Times. Whether they plan to look for jobs is also unclear, but British Columbia Premier John Horgan has joked that if they move to the province, "I'm sure I could find something for Harry to do," the CBC reports. (More Prince Harry stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X