TORONTO -- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their return to official royal duties Tuesday with a visit to Canada House in London.
Harry and Meghan visited with Canada’s High Commissioner to the U.K. Janice Charette and her staff to thank them for their recent visit to Canada. The royals spent the holidays in Victoria, B.C., where they celebrated Christmas in privacy (and took a photo for a young Canadian couple).
“What a beautiful place you live in,” said Harry, thanking staff for the Canadian warmth and hospitality, which he called “unbelievable.”
“That was exactly why we chose Canada,” he said. “My wife will now finish in French,” he joked to laughs.
“It was just such an incredible time (we were) grateful to have there, and with our son too,” said Meghan, adding that their eight-month-old son Archie seemed in awe of the beauty of B.C.
Royal watchers have been keen to see how the couple would begin the New Year after ending 2019 on what CTV Royal Commentator Richard Berthelsen called a “discordant note.” An emotional documentary on ITV received a mixed response from the public, leaving some to wonder whether their role within the Royal Family would diminish.
“It really kind of left a taste in people’s mouths as far as what was the way forward for them going to be,” Berthelsen told CTVNews.ca. “Were they going to be participating on a more selective basis, were they going to be able to find a way (to be) within the lines of the way the Royal Family operates or are they going to find a different way?”
Some insiders have speculated that the couple may announce an official royal tour across Canada as there has been a “longstanding invitation” from the government since their wedding, said Berthelsen.
