On Monday, Queen Elizabeth signaled her desire to let Meghan Markle and Prince Harry leave their royal duties in a statement released soon after a Sandringham crisis summit that also involved Prince Charles and Prince William. Though the details aren’t final, it means that the first phase of the couple’s bombshell exit is coming to an end. Plenty of questions remain: How did their strained relationship with the royal family get to this point? Where are they going to live once the queen’s “transition” period is over? What will they do for work? Who helped them make this decision?
In addition to tracking the crisis as it unfolded, media outlets in Britain and North America have been uncovering clues as to where the couple is headed next. Here are some of the most promising—and controversial—rumors about Harry and Meghan’s future.
Will Harry and Meghan avoid Los Angeles until after Donald Trump is out of office? According to friends who spoke to the Daily Mail, the couple wants to return to America, but have decided to wait until after Trump is out of office. In June, Trump made a visit to Buckingham Palace for a state dinner after calling Meghan “nasty.” The duchess was out on maternity leave, but Harry was present—and he reportedly kept his distance during the event.
Who owns the Vancouver house where Meghan and Harry are staying? Harry and Meghan have been given a Canadian hideout by billionaire (and friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton) Frank Giustra, claims Page Six. But in a series of tweets on Tuesday night, Giustra told that he is not the owner of the house the couple has been staying in. Earlier this month, Hello! Canada reported that David Foster, the producer and husband of Meghan’s old friend Katharine McPhee, had arranged for their stay at the waterfront mansion worth about $14 million.
Has William and Harry’s relationship has been tenser than anyone realized? After a Times report on Sunday claimed that “bullying” by Prince William might have led to Meghan and Harry’s decision to step back, the brothers released a rare joint statement that claimed the story was false. But new stories about the tension between the brothers over the past two years continue to appear. According to the Sun,the polo day where everyone looked happy was soon after the brothers’ worst fight yet.
Have Harry and Meghan been cozying up to Disney? Harry talked up Meghan’s skills as a voiceover artist to Bob Iger, as seen a video from July that People resurfaced over the weekend. But an additional report claimed that the couple has already inked a deal with the media conglomerate in exchange for a substantial donation to the charity Elephants Without Borders.
Are Meghan and Harry reaching out to U.S. news outlets for a tell-all interview? According to the Sun, Meghan and Harry’s PR teams are reaching out to U.S. networks about a potential interview, including with Oprah Winfrey. On Sunday, The couple’s friend Tom Bradby claimed they might share some unsavory and damaging details about the family if they do. But on Monday, representatives for Oprah denied that they have had any contact with the Sussexes in an email to Buzzfeed.