Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Just Shared a Major Clue That They're Putting Down Roots in Canada
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are supporting a cause close to their hearts in their new home.
On Wednesday, the couple dedicated their Instagram story to Bell Let’s Talk, a mental health initiative in Canada. For every applicable text, call, tweet, social media video view and use of Bell’s Facebook frame or Snapchat filter, the company donates 5 cents towards mental well-being. Bell has donated over $100 million since launching the initiative in September 2010, according to their website.
“We are so happy to be supporting Bell’s mental health campaign,” Meghan and Harry wrote following a collage of photos featuring people encouraging kindness. “Each time you watch bell_letstalk official video on Instagram, Bell will donate 5 cents towards Canadian mental health initiatives. So please share, please talk and be part of the solution.” They completed the note with a Canadian flag.
Now that they are stepping down as senior working members of the royal family in the U.K., their sign of support for the Canadian initiative is the latest sign that they are putting down roots in the North American country. Meghan has made a few philanthropic appearances since the move, including a visit to the Vancouver headquarters of Justice for Girls— a charity that promotes women’s rights and helps provide young girls with access to advocacy and education — earlier this month. That same day, Meghan also made an appearance at Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, where she discussed “issues affecting women in the community.”
Mental health is a cause Prince Harry and Meghan have focused on in their royal work, along with Prince William and Kate Middleton. Their Heads Together initiative have helped mainstream mental health discussions, and the foursome have lent their support to Shout, an affiliate of Crisis Text Line in the U.K. that offers free, confidential mental health support via text.
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After spending the holidays on Canada’s Vancouver Island with Archie, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to London for a handful of engagements on Jan. 7. They visited Canada House to thank the country for hosting them and also stopped by the Hubb Community Kitchen, one of Meghan’s first royal partnerships, to check in and wish them a happy new year.
Meghan, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, shared their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family and split their time between the U.K. and North America on Jan. 8, soon after which Meghan flew back to Canada to reunite with Archie. Harry, meanwhile, remained in England to continue the discussion about the big changes ahead with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William.
Prince Harry joined his family in Canada after carrying out a number of public engagements in the U.K. The trio have remained in the Vancouver area since.
Queen Elizabeth, 93, echoed the couple’s intentions to spend time in Canada during the “period of transition” to their new roles, which will take effect this spring.
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” the monarch said in a statement. “My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family.”
“Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family,” she added. “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives. It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the U.K.”
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Harry and Meghan will keep their Frogmore Cottage home in Windsor but repay renovation costs.
