The Duke and Duchess of Sussex considered living in New Zealand in their first year of marriage, according to the Queen’s representative in the Commonwealth country.

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy recalled how she, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry discussed the prospects of moving there. This was during a visit in 2018, the same year of their wedding in Windsor.

“I remember they’d just been down to the Abel Tasman National Park when we sat down and had a drink, and they said that they could imagine living in a place like this and wondered whether we thought it would be theoretically possible.” she told the Associated Press in an interview. “Even possible for them to have a place in New Zealand.”

“Of course, we said, ‘Sure. It would be fine,” Dame Patsy said. “They were looking at how they might raise their family. And obviously they’ve made some decisions since.”

In March, the royal couple gave a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey about the treatment within “The Firm” that caused them to leave being working senior royals and relocate to California.

Revelations unearthed in the CBS interview included that a member of the royal family expressed “concern” about how dark their son’s Archie skin colour might be, Markle’s ignored pleas for help for her suicidal feelings and excessive press intrusion.

Since moving to the US, they have since embarked on many professional endeavours, such as their production company Archewell.

Wednesday 4 August marks the Duchess’ 40th birthday, which she celebrated by sharing a video announcing a mentoring programme for women and that included an appearance from comedic actor Melissa McCarthy and jokes about a Suits reunion.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone free of charge over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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