The Sussexes’ charm offensive has begun — but winning round the Canucks will require delicate diplomacy. From the key allies to prime postcodes, Katie Strick has a guide.Harry and Meghan have (almost) ironed out the details with Granny — Sussexit is go. In fact, it might have already started: Meghan is back on Vancouver Island already, making her first public appearance yesterday with a visit to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Center in Vancouver, and a feminist climate change group called Justice for Girls.Meanwhile, Harry is rumoured to be following her to Canada after he completes the draw for the Rugby League World Cup this afternoon. Their son Archie never left — he’s been out there since before Christmas.
The battle for Canada’s hearts and minds will take time — yesterday, the country’s biggest newspaper The Globe and Mail argued that Canada was not a “halfway house” for any royal looking for a life outside the UK — but Meghan and Harry are excited about Canada, and many Canadians are even more excited about the prospect of the Sussexes making the country their home..The smart money is currently on a move to Toronto or Vancouver — the couple have ties to both. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tweeted his excitement, Canadians are Instagramming about their new acquisitions and Toronto-based coffee chain Tim Hortons has been the first in line to offer the couple free coffee for life.So what kind of hospitality can they expect from their neighbours in the Great White North?.The Globe and Mail can’t make its mind up — last week, a columnist in the paper enthused that, “out of every country in the world, they like us best”, calling the decision a “power move” and “the fairy-tale ending we all deserve”.Many Canadians agree: Instagram and Twitter have been flooded with maple-leaf flag emojis and welcoming messages of solidarity for the royal couple. Most agree that the Sussexes’ injection of celebrity to the country, “even part time, could be just what [they] need”.“Let’s face it, we’re a bit short in the glamour department,” the Toronto Star noted last week under the headline “Harry and Meghan, you’re finally free — now come to Canada, where you belong”.Alongside Canadians’ excitement there’s also a feeling of respect. “I welcome Harry, Meghan and Archie home to Canada, and hope all Canadians join me in respecting their privacy,” tweeted one Canadian.The main concern among Canadian taxpayers? Having to foot the extra security costs. “To Harry and Meghan,” said one popular meme of the couple next to Niagara Falls.“Welcome to Canada, all the best with your life here, be warm and never forget to file your tax!” Canadians are also more likely to give the couple the privacy they want — hassling isn’t in their nature.Not a single paparazzi photograph was taken on their festive break on Vancouver Island. .Friends in high places .“Prince Harry, Meghan and Archie, we’re all wishing you a quiet and blessed stay in Canada,” Trudeau tweeted on the Sussexes’ visit to Vancouver last month.“You’re among friends and always welcome here.” .Always, eh? Trudeau’s prescient tweet has led to speculation that the Canadian PM knew the move was coming, despite sources close to the royals denying the claims.Still, when news broke, Trudeau was swift on the uptake, and is said to have assured the Queen that the Canadian taxpayer would cover the couple’s security costs.He’s since backtracked after fears the nation’s taxpayers would object, but continued to support the couple’s wish to spend much of their time in the Commonwealth country..The Canadian first couple and the Sussexes are close friends: Harry and Justin have been spotted laughing and joking together many times at Commonwealth commemorations and the Invictus Games in 2017, and Meghan and Trudeau’s wife Sophie share a stylist in Meghan’s best friend Jessica Mulroney.They also share a background on screen: Sophie previously worked as TV entertainment host and now volunteers for several Canadian charities championing women’s rights and mental health — two of Sussex Royal’s closest causes.Could M-ophie become the next power duo? Other friends could include the fearsome novelist Margaret Atwood — she and Meghan could talk feminism — and the musician Drake, who could introduce Harry to the country’s national sport: ice hockey.The country is one of 15 Commonwealth countries where the Queen is head of state, so the Duke could become her representative as governor general — if his grandmother were to agree.The post is currently filled by former astronaut Julie Payette and she’ll likely continue her five-year term to its completion in 2022, but could Harry follow her? The annual salary for the position is $288,900 (£170,000) which would boost the couple’s financial position after going independent.Canadians are seemingly in favour. A recent snap poll found that 60 per cent of citizens would approve if Harry were to get the job. .Either way, the couple are likely to continue their philanthropic endeavours: Meghan started yesterday with a visit to Downtown Eastside Women’s Center in Vancouver and she could continue her acting career (should she want to).Canada is an increasingly appealing location for producers: Emmy Award-winning series The Handmaid’s Tale is filmed in her old hometown Toronto and Vancouver is the home of cult Netflix series Riverdale.Setting up in Canada also feeds the couple’s drive to return to nature. The Duchess said on a visit to the Canadian High Commission in London after their Christmas break: “Just to walk around and just see the beauty of Canada.To see Archie go ‘ahhh’ when you walk by and just see how stunning it is, so it meant a lot to us.” Meghan and Harry have also spoken of their love of wildlife and Sussex Royal put out calls to save the koala.Will Canada’s grizzlies, a species of special concern in the country, be next? .The money is on Toronto, Canada’s biggest city and the country’s financial and cultural epicentre.Markle previously called it her “second home” after living there for seven years while filming legal drama Suits, and it’s where she lived when she met Harry..The couple have close friends there, including Soho House consultant Markus Anderson, who was rumoured to have introduced the duo and Markle’s stylist best friend Jessica Mulroney.The couple reportedly looked after Archie with a nanny while Harry and Meghan were in London last week. .Five-bed houses in the Mulroney’s leafy midtown neighbourhood, Moore Park, currently market for $4.9 million and the Sussexes would be affected by the city’s foreign buyer’s tax of 15 per cent, but the draws are endless:
A-list natives from Drake to Atwood, Meghan’s favourite hot-yoga studio Modo Yoga, and glamour without the cameras..Toronto isn’t the only city that they could have in their sights. The official residence for the governor general position, Rideau Hall, is 250 miles north-east of Toronto in Ottawa, Canada’s capital — locals say it would be fitting as it has grand buildings that look like palaces — while the country’s third-biggest city Vancouver, on the west coast, is a serious contender after the couple’s recent test-run over Christmas.The coastal city has a similar climate to Britain’s and is nicknamed “Hollywood North” for its native TV shows and A-list residents. Ryan Reynolds and wife Blake Lively, and Kim Cattrall, own properties there..Like Toronto, Vancouver would offer a quiet life. The family remained largely unbothered at their island rental and locals have spoken of their determination to give the couple their privacy.“The last thing they want is mobs of people coming around and taking their picture,” said a local sweet-shop owner. .“I’m sure they just want to break away and have a safe haven,” another resident told reporters.
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