They were set up in accommodations fit for royalty, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lived like locals during their Christmas vacation in Canada. Harry and Meghan brought baby Archie to North Saanich, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, for a magical holiday away from the press and pomp and circumstance that comes from royal celebrations in London, and they took the opportunity to just be normal. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a source tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, “were seen at all the local spots in town. It’s a very small community [just 45 minutes from the city of Victoria] so they were in town for more than a week before it became news. The weather was gorgeous so they were out walking in the park almost every day with Meghan’s dogs.”
Meghan and Harry, who met and fell in love in Canada while she was filming Suits, also brought Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, along to celebrate her grandson’s first Christmas. Our eagle-eyed insider says that Meghan and Doria “did some shopping” at a local shop called Millstone Organic Farms to prepare for the holiday, later having lunch at a spot called Pickle Fig Cafe. Harry was seen hiking by himself frequently, as well. While people didn’t see much of their nine-month-old, the source noted that “Harry and Meghan were basically enjoying themselves like locals. People gave them privacy. No one was bothering them but they definitely made a good impression — everyone’s still talking about it.”
A key part of staying private was staying in a secluded oceanfront property called Mille Fleurs. The $14.1 million, 11,416 square foot mansion is surrounded by huge trees and gated. The main house includes five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a dining room, office, two-story living room, game room, media room, wine tasting room, and a kitchen with a pizza oven, according to a real estate listing. The royals were set up with the swanky digs, funnily enough, by David Foster, whose wife, Katharine McPhee did theater in high school with Meghan. Meghan and Harry have since returned to London after their getaway.