Meghan Markle and Prince Harry kept the details of their 2019 Canada escape under extraordinary secrecy, a pattern cited by royal biographer Valentine Low as a factor in the couple’s later decision to scale back their royal duties. Low’s account in Courtiers portrays the six-week break as a period spent away from the public eye that was planned with such discretion that even those closest to them, including their nanny, were kept in the dark about the destination. The secrecy, according to Low, helped set the stage for a chain of high-stakes moves that culminated in the couple’s global shift away from full-time royal duties.
On Thanksgiving weekend in November 2019, the Sussexes posted a message that read, in light of the couple’s American heritage, “Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.” The included red maple leaf, a symbol of Canada, proved to be the first public hint that they might be in North America. At the time, neither the Palace nor the Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly disclosed their location, beyond noting that they would be spending time with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland. Meghan, who had lived and worked in Toronto during her acting days, was believed to have a personal circle in the city, fueling speculation about a potential move.
Meghan was so anxious about word leaking that the couple reportedly did not even tell their nanny, Lorren, where they were going. According to Low, Meghan asked a staffer, “What sort of weather should I pack for?” and learned only when the private jet was already in the air that they would be traveling to Canada. The caution extended beyond the nanny: staff members began to grow suspicious about the couple’s long-term plans, noting that the couple had taken personal belongings and their two dogs with them. The secrecy during this period would become a touchstone for observers who read the trip as a driving force behind Megxit.
By early January 2020, the Sussexes had returned to London to thank Canadian officials and visit Canada House, where they met with Janice Charette, Canada’s high commissioner to the UK, and viewed an exhibition by Indigenous artist Skawennati. Days later, on January 8, they announced on Instagram that they would “step back” as senior working royals and split their time between North America and the UK. Meghan traveled back to Canada on January 10, while Harry proceeded to Norfolk to discuss a plan that would allow them to live a more independent life. A January 13 meeting of the royal family and aides was subsequently described in later accounts as a pivotal moment that would determine the future of the monarchy’s relationship with the couple.
The 90-minute meeting, later dubbed the Sandringham Summit by the press, remains a focal point of controversy because contemporary recollections diverge as new disclosures emerge. At the time, those present offered a calm, cordial portrait, but Harry has since released accounts that diverge from earlier narratives. In the couple’s 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry said his brother William had left him “terrified” as the conversation escalated, and he accused Charles of telling outright untruths in front of the Queen, who sat quietly throughout. In Spare, his 2023 memoir, he characterized the gathering as “just for show,” arguing that the outcome had already been decided by the Queen’s aides and that the other royals had pressured him and Meghan to stay, with departure the sole viable option.
Low’s retelling emphasizes that the discussions in Sandringham revolved around five potential futures for the couple’s royal life, ranging from continuing in the status quo to a full departure. The author notes the emotional strain behind the negotiations and the sense among some staff that the process was being manipulated to secure a particular outcome. The account also recaps a vivid scene described by Harry about searching for drafts of alternative statements and a printer that “was working fine,” a moment he used to illustrate how the process felt staged and opaque to those involved. The juxtaposition of private family dynamics with public statements has become a hallmark of the post-royal era’s narrative friction, with the Queen’s oft-cited line—“Recollections may vary”—serving as a frequent touchstone for observers parsing competing memories.
Following the Sandringham Summit, the couple’s decision to transition away from senior royal duties unfolded in rapid sequence. They announced their intention to step back just days after returning from Canada, and Meghan later returned to Canada as Harry prepared to present a plan for a life that would combine financial independence with family responsibilities that remained tied to the Crown. The January 13 dialogue at Sandringham and related exchanges that followed continued to feed a debate about whether the family truly explored all options or whether a preferred outcome had already been charted behind closed doors.
In the years since, the couple’s accounts have continued to diverge. In 2022, their Netflix docuseries portrayed a fractious moment of family disagreement, while Spare offered a highly dramatized, expansive account of the negotiations that preceded their departure. The princes’ experience has reverberated through royal coverage, shaping public perception of how power, protocol and personal grievances intersect in the modern monarchy.
As the Royal Family has navigated reconciliation conversations in more recent years, observers noted a gradual softening of tone around the possibility of renewed contact between Harry, William and Charles. In May, Harry gave a candid BBC interview expressing a wish for reconciliation, and reporting in 2025 highlighted a rare, 54-minute meeting between Harry and the King over tea—the latest sign that the fault lines remain unsettled, even as the two sides explore paths toward a more constructive relationship.
The Canada trip’s secrecy, the Sandringham sessions, and the evolving public narrative around Megxit collectively underline a broader cultural moment: a modern monarchy attempting to balance tradition with a rapidly shifting media landscape and an audience that demands greater transparency about the personal stakes behind grand institutions. The story continues to unfold as new disclosures and recollections add layers to a chapter that reshaped the couple’s relationship with the Royal Family and with audiences around the world.