Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were considering moving to New Zealand months after their wedding, one of the country's top officials has revealed.
The couple discussed living there during their 2018 royal tour of the nation, the country's governor-general claims.
Dame Patsy Reddy announced the couple were open to the idea more than a year before they stepped back from royal duties.
Harry and Meghan visited New Zealand at the end of a two-week royal tour of the South Pacific, six months after they married.
Dame Patsy say the pair sounded her out about the logistics, before they eventually settled on a move to America.
"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.
"Of course, we said, 'Sure. It would be fine' - there are lots of opportunities to live in New Zealand, but that would be something that they'd have to explore.
"They were looking at how they might raise their family and obviously they've made some decisions since."
Dame Patsy, who represents the Queen in New Zealand, added that the royal couple seemed impressed with the access to the outdoors - and their interactions with New Zealanders.
The Duke and Duchess announced in early 2020 that they wanted to step back from the roles as senior royals.
They said at the time they would split their time between North America and the UK.
It was originally assumed they would be based in Canada, another Commonwealth nation.
Instead they moved to California, and have only returned to England a handful of times.
Today Meghan shared a video of her joking with Melissa McCarthy to launch a new project for her 40th birthday.
In it, she urged people around the world to commit 40 minutes to mentoring someone in need.
She shared the video, which shows Meghan chatting to the comedy actress on Zoom from her California home, on the Sussexes' Archewell charity page, to the delight of fans.
Alongside it she shared a message to well-wishers explaining the project and talking about the importance of time.
The statement also includes what could be seen as a dig at the royal family.
She writes: "The time that you donate can contribute to a global wave of service and set in motion meaningful impact in our own communities, and across the world."
Global wave of service is capped up and written in bold writing.
