The Duke and Duchess of Sussex delighted royal fans on Tuesday afternoon after they made their first public engagement since their six-week break, which was spent mainly in Canada. Having now returned to the UK, the royal couple paid a visit to the Canadian High Commission in London to thank the people of Canada for their hospitality. And it wasn't just Harry and Meghan who enjoyed their time away, but their seven-month-old son Archie too, who was particularly fond of the scenery! Meghan told diplomats: "My goodness it was just such an incredible time we were able to have there and with our son too. And just to be able to take in the warmth that we experienced from the people also just walk around and just see the beauty of Canada. To see Archie go 'ahh' when you walk by and just see how stunning it is, so it meant a lot to us."
Watch Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at their first royal engagement of the year
Meghan Markle revealed baby Archie enjoyed the scenery in Canada during her first royal engagement of the year
Harry also had nothing but good things to say about their trip to Canada. "What a wonderful place you live in. Thank you so much for having us – not that any of you had anything to do with it," he said to laughter. "But the warmth and hospitality that we were shown while there was unbelievable, and that's exactly why we chose to go out there, so thank you." The Duke then made the group laugh as he suggested that Meghan should speak to them in French, to which she responded: "No!"
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Baby Archie with Prince Harry while out in Canada
The Sussexes enjoyed spending a lot of time outside while on their Canadian break, and even took time to offer their help to a couple during a New Year's Day hike in Vancouver Island's Horth Hill Regional Park. Harry and Meghan were out with a group of friends including Meghan's former Suits co-star Abigal Spencer, when they surprised the pair by offering to take a photo of them. Speaking to CTV News, Asymina Kantorowicz and Iliya Pavlovic said they were using a selfie stick to take photos of themselves among the natural scenery, when a woman from a group nearby approached and offered to take a photo. They didn't realise who she was at the time, but when Asymina recognised Abigail standing in the group nearby, it clicked that she was talking to Meghan.
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"I froze up. I actually couldn't believe who it was. Then I looked over to the side and that's when I realised Prince Harry was standing there. I kept looking back and forth like, 'Is this actually happening?'" she said, adding: "In that moment the only thing I could think to say, 'There's only so much that selfie sticks can do.' She laughed and responded with something like, 'We'll have to do better,' and then Harry said, 'No pressure.'" The royal couple were said to have been "super friendly" during the encounter, taking three photos before leaving with their friends and two dogs.
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