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    Wednesday, May 08, 2024

    Meghan Markle, Prince Harry secretly move to L.A. ahead of coronavirus lockdown

    Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their move to leave Canada and settle permanently in Los Angeles before the border between Canada and the United States were shut last Friday, according to reports.

    The Sun first reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took a private flight from British Columbia to the Los Angeles area sometime before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump closed the border between the two countries. They are now, like other Californians, sheltering in place, The Sun said.

    People magazine cited a source who said that the couple and their 10-month-old son Archie are staying in a secluded compound in Meghan’s LA hometown and haven’t ventured out.

    “Harry and Meghan have left Canada now for good,” The Sun said. “The borders were closing and flights were stopping. They had to get out.”

    The move from a $13 million mansion, where they were staying on Vancouver Island, isn’t unexpected given that Meghan, 38, has a huge support system in Los Angeles, including her mother Doria Ragland, The Sun said. Los Angeles also is the home base of the couple’s new team of Hollywood agents and public relations and business managers, The Sun added.

    “They knew Canada would not work out for various reasons and they want to be based in the Los Angeles area,” the source told The Sun.

    People and other outlets previously revealed that the couple had been inquiring about luxury real estate in the Los Angeles area, including a $7 million Malibu home with swimming pool and tennis court.

    But the couple’s apparent move to the United States also comes as Harry’s home country is facing its own coronavirus crisis, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles diagnosed with COVID-19 and the queen and Prince William and Kate Middleton self-isolating at their homes at Windsor Castle and Anmer Hall, respectively.

    The Sussexes’ decision to settle in the United States, not Canada, a Commonwealth country, has left the royal family “stunned and horrified,” according to The Sun.

    As for Harry’s immigration status if they settle in the United States, the couple presumably will need to file a Form 1-130, a “petition for alien relative,” with the Department of Homeland Security.

    Harry will then need to apply for a marriage green card, which will give him “permanent resident” status and allow him to live and work anywhere in the United States. The typical wait time for a green card is 10 to 13 months, according to the immigration guide Boundless.

    Meghan has already signaled some of her future intensions for a career with voiceover work she did for “Elephant,” a Disneynature channel documentary about elephants. The film starts streaming on April 3 on Disney+.

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