CULTURE

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Honeymoon Location Will Likely Be in Africa

They've narrowed it down to...an entire continent.


Prince Harry Marries Ms. Meghan Markle - Windsor Castle
Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may be royals, but they’re just procrastinators like everyone else. The pair, who you may have heard got married last weekend, still haven’t reportedly finalized the details of their honeymoon. In fact, even a month before their wedding, they still hadn’t booked their trip.

While some have speculated that Prince Harry and Markle would be honeymooning in Namibia, that’s since been refuted by E! News. But it does seem likely that the pair will be heading to Africa—if you recall, Markle and Harry quietly courted in Botswana—as royal expert Omid Scobie revealed to Elle. “Africa has played a huge role in Harry and Meghan’s relationship—it was the place they fell in love, the place they vacationed before the engagement and even where Harry bought the center diamond for Meghan’s ring,” Scobie said. “It’s the one side of the world where Harry says he feels like he can be himself. He has laid roots there and has a huge amount of love and respect for the African continent. The couple have been keen to explore other countries in Africa, and I’m certain we will see them do that on this honeymoon.”

Now that Namibia is out, and Botswana seems unlikely as the pair celebrated Markle’s 36th birthday there last August, Zanzibar and Seychelles are the front-runners. “William and Kate had such an amazing time in the Seychelles, so that could be an option, and Zanzibar has been at the top of their wish list for some time now,” Scobie said. Plus, Markle is apparently hoping to get some beach time in. “I hear that Meghan has been keen to go on a beach holiday with Harry, so I can definitely see them by the sea,” Scobie added. “I don’t think they’ll be back in Botswana or on safari as they’re keen to explore countries on the continent that they haven’t seen before… The most important thing will be making sure it’s somewhere they can feel safe and have privacy.”

Security is one reason the public probably won’t find out Markle and Harry’s exact honeymoon spot before it happens—that and the fact that Kensington has announced they won’t be sharing any information about it in the wake of their very public wedding. “If a location leaks prior to travel, it compromises their safety on the trip, and they’ll be advised by their protection team to change plans,” Scobie said, revealing, “William and Kate’s protection officers ended up doing recon on two destinations before they settled on the Seychelles for their 2011 honeymoon. I heard that just over a month before the wedding, Harry and Meghan hadn’t even booked a destination, so these plans have come together rather quickly!” And you thought planning your own honeymoon was daunting.