Royal Family LIVE: Prince Harry's plot to flee Britain and 'drama' before US move revealed

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hatched a bold plan to flee Britain's relentless media storm, dreaming of a quieter life split between the UK and Cape Town, South Africa. Seeking a life unencumbered by royal duties while still serving the late Queen, they envisioned spending half the year in Africa, far from the tabloid glare and royal drama. Queen Elizabeth II endorsed the idea, but when Harry detailed the proposal in writing to his father, now King Charles, it leaked to the press, igniting a firestorm that crushed their hopes.

New Zealand briefly entered the conversation, but Africa held a special allure-Harry's refuge since his mother's death and the source of the Botswana diamond in Meghan's engagement ring. In his memoir Spare, Harry later revealed how this scuppered plan pushed them towards their eventual move to Montecito, California, with their children, Archie and Lilibet. The taste of freedom lingered, leaving a bittersweet echo of what could have been beneath Cape Town's Table Mountain.

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