Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
With the Royal Wedding underway on May 19, 2018, the next obvious question is at hand: Where are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle going on their honeymoon? And when?
Here’s what’s known so far. First of all, Harry and Meghan won’t be going on their honeymoon immediately. That’s certain because the palace has revealed that they will appear at an event as a married couple three days after the wedding ceremony. That event “will be Prince Charles’ 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on May 22,” reported Elle.
GettyMeghan Markle and Prince Harry in Belfast.
The couple is expected to honeymoon eventually, and several destinations in Africa are the leading possibilities. “The couple will be going on honeymoon, but not straightaway,” Kensington Palace spokesman Jason Knauf told People Magazine. “They will have their first engagement as a married couple in the week after the wedding.”
In April 2018, a month before the wedding, Town and Leisure reported that Harry and Meghan had settled on… Namibia. This has not been confirmed by the couple or the palace, however. “A source has confirmed to Travel + Leisure that Harry and Meghan have indeed chosen Namibia as the country where they will spend their first vacation together as husband and wife,” the magazine reported.
GetyPrince Harry, Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation and Meghan Markle attend the UK Team Trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on April 6, 2018 in Bath, England. The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 will take place from 20-27th October and will see over 500 competitors from 18 nations compete in 11 adaptive sports.
A locale in Namibia called Hoanib Valley Camp might be the honeymoon destination, according to the magazine. Guests stay in luxury tents, have private verandas, and go on game drives. The company pitches itself as a “conservation-driven tourism company,” which would probably appeal to the socially conscious Meghan and Harry.
This makes sense as a destination if it indeed pans out; Harry has long been said to be fond of Africa. He took Meghan to Botswana shortly after meeting her, and that’s where the pair is said to have fallen in love. CNN suggests that, due to its connection to the early days of the romance, Botswana might end up the choice instead of Namibia. One of the diamonds in Meghan’s ring came from Botswana, which gives the country even more sentimental value as a possibly honeymoon destination. Harry has a long history of being engaged in conservation efforts on the African continent.
The Seychelles also makes the list of possibilities, according to CNN, largely because of the privacy it affords. “The Seychelles government has introduced laws to protect the privacy of famous faces who travel to its islands, so the pair would definitely be away from prying eyes,” CNN reported, noting that George Clooney and his wife Amal chose the Seychelles as their honeymoon destination.
GettyPrince Harry and Meghan Markle
Other possibilities being mentioned include Rwanda, the Philippines, Brazil and Italy.
One thing is guaranteed: The couple will seek as much privacy as they can get on their honeymoon. Thus, it’s likely to be in a location that’s remote. Africa and the Seychelles would seem to fit those parameters well.
The Herald reports that the royal couple is also planning a trip to Ireland, which the newspaper dubbed a “mini-moon.”
“Arrangements are being put in place for the royal couple to visit in the weeks after their wedding, although it will likely not be the official honeymoon,” The Herald reported.